Deputy president of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party John Hlophe’s legal professionals have threaten the occasion’s former convenor in Mpumalanga, Mary Phadi, with authorized motion if she doesn’t retract her claims of sexual harassment towards Hlophe.
At the weekend, a letter dated 16 January 2025 written to occasion chief Jacob Zuma with Phadi’s signature circulated on social media. Phadi confirmed that she wrote the letter in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.
WILL MARY PHADI RETRACT HER ALLEGATIONS?
As beforehand reported by The South African, in November 2024, the MK Party fired Phadi for alleged mismanagement of funds and hatching an assassination plot towards her rival within the occasion. However, in December, the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela ruled in Phadi’s favour.
The court docket ordered Phadi to be reinstated because the convenor within the province, a member of the Mpumalanga legislature and occasion chief within the legislature. Instead, the MK Party appointed former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member of Parliament and impeached public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
At the weekend, Phadi instructed Newzroom Afrika that the vilification and propaganda she faces inside the MK Party resulted from refusing to present in to Hlophe’s advances.
In a letter to Phadi, Hlophe’s authorized representatives JG & Xulu Incorporated stated the content material of her letter and the statements she made throughout her TV interview have been false, deceptive and damaging to their shopper.
“This conduct constitutes defamation under South African law and has caused significant harm to our client’s personal and professional standing. The statements were false and were understood by those who listened to the interview to mean that our client made sexual advances and compromised the position of his office and was not guided by integrity and best interests of the MKP in his conduct.”
Further, the JG & X Incorporated demanded that by Wednesday, 5 February, Mary Phadi ought to:
- Provide an enterprise that she is going to desist from making, publishing or inflicting to be printed any additional defamatory allegations regarding Hlophe to any occasion;
- Address correspondence to Newzroom Afrika copying JGX, which confirms that the allegations towards Hlophe are false and requesting the portion of the interview to be redacted, eliminated or corrected by the TV channel.
- Remove from her social media account(s) or some other media, publication or any web site underneath her management,
- Withdraw her correspondence to the MK Party elader Jacob Zuma dated 16 January 2025 and
- Post an unconditional apology and full retraction of her utterances.
“Should you fail to comply with the demands set forth in this letter, we are instructed to take the appropriate steps to exercise our client’s legal rights, which may include launching urgent legal proceedings against you,” the corporate stated.
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