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- Andile Lungisa, former ANC Councilor Nelson Mandela Bay, apologized to the Governor of the Reserve Bank of South Africa after a series of defamatory tweets.
- Lungisa’s tweets called Lesetja Kganyago a “lackey of racist people” and used the k word.
- Kganyago accepted the apology and an agreement was reached.
Former ANC Councilor Nelson Mandela Bay, Andile Lungisa, apologized to the Governor of the Reserve Bank of South Africa (SARB), Lesetja Kganyago, following tweets that characterized Kganyago as a “lackey of racist people.”
The spiel left Kganyago suing Lungisa for R500,000 for defamation.
Lungisa’s tweets came at the height of the public dispute within the ANC over the nationalization of the Reserve Bank in June last year.
At the time, Lungisa tweeted: “He, like many of his kind, imagines that proximity to culturally fetid but economically neo-settlers, coupled with a few lattes makes him an exceptional k **** r.”
This tweet, which was accompanied by a photo of Kganyago, was removed from Lungisa’s timeline, but a screenshot accompanies Kganyago’s court documents.
READ ALSO | Andile Lungisa Gets Bail, Pending ConCourt Request
A day later, he tweeted again: “Lesetja Kganyago, an obedient servant of our racist upper classes, is an ardent disciple of the neoliberal dystopia that has condemned millions of Africans to a desolate existence.”
In an affidavit in August, Kganyago claimed that Lungisa had around 20,000 followers at the time of publication and that these statements were widely read by the public.
In his apology, Lungisa said that he had time to reflect on his actions and regretted the negative effects his words had on Kganyago’s dignity.
“The statements were not only wrong, but they were false and made without any basis in fact or at all,” he said.
He also apologized for using the k word.
He said:
There is no justification for using this word considering the history of its use within the Republic of South Africa to harm and undermine the dignity of all black South Africans.
Thoraya Pandy of the Reserve Bank confirmed that the governor has accepted the public apology, issued to both the governor and the public. The R500,000 payment will no longer apply.
“It was never really about money, but about the dignity of black South Africans. The use of the k-word is unacceptable, considering how it was used in the past. The defamation case has been to make sure that Mr. Lungisa is I apologize to the public and black South Africans in particular, “he says.
Court documents from the Eastern Cape Superior Court confirmed that an agreement was reached between the two.
The case was dropped after it was agreed that Lungisa would publicly apologize and retracted his verbal attack.
The apology was posted by Lungisa’s lawyers on his Twitter account on Saturday.
An apology from Andile Lungisa to the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Mr. Lesetja Kganyago. Please note that Mr. Lungisa is not in possession of a cell phone. The apology is an agreement between the parties and published by their Attorneys, NE MBEWANA ABOGADOS INC. In her name. pic.twitter.com/jjuGO0Mqim
– Andile Lungisa (@mrlungisa) November 9, 2020
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