AfriForum drops defamation charges against Panyaza Lesufi

Lobby group AfriForum has confirmed that it has dropped its defamation case against Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi.

The case relates to Lesufi’s utterances at a media briefing in November 2019 that his children were being followed and there were attempts to assassinate him.

AfriForum vs Lesufi 

AfriForum’s CEO, Kallie Kriel says AfriForum will not go ahead with the defamation case following Lesufi’s withdrawal of the statements.

“The fact that Mr Lesufi has withdrawn his allegations that AfriForum tried to assassinate him and follow his family around – as well as the fact that he regrets making these statements – means that these statements were blatant lies from the beginning. He has now adhered to our demands. So AfriForum will not be going ahead with the defamation case. The fact is the taxpayers would have had to pay for his legal costs and we wanted to make sure that no more taxpayers’ money is squandered,” says Kriel .

Meanwhile, Lesufi says he and AfriForum have agreed to work towards peace.

“I was addressing a media conference and I got a question from journalists about my safety and I indicated that indeed that there were people that were following me and my children and monitoring where I stay. I indicated that I have opened various cases with the police. AfriForum filed some papers saying that my statement indicated that they were the culprits because it is common knowledge that they have had some run-ins with me. So, during the mediation process, if you read the full joint statement, we are committing to talk and work peacefully. A win-win joint statement was agreed upon that we should work for peace,” says Lesufi.

Lesufi, AfriForum and Orania

In June last year, Lesufi said he will not be intimidated and silenced by AfriForum after the lobby group had threatened to take legal action against him.

At the time, Lesufi said the organisation was upset over his views on the Afrikaner-only town, Orania, in the Northern Cape.

The civil rights organisation has confirmed that it would take legal action against Lesufi’s assassination attempt claims.

However, Lesufi had said the organisation was upset over his views on the Afrikaner-only town, Orania, in the Northern Cape.

Lesufi said that Orania should not be allowed to exist in the new South Africa.

Lesufi also said he stands by his views that it can’t be acceptable that there is a community within the borders of the country that does not abide by the country’s laws.

-Additional reporting by SABC News