Abantu Integrity Movement (AIM) leader Mkhuseli “Khusta” Jack has demanded a public apology and retraction from Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Babalwa Lobishe over remarks he says falsely linked him to the deaths and disappearances of his comrades during apartheid.
His attorneys have given Lobishe until noon on Wednesday to apologise and retract the remarks publicly, warning that failure to do so could result in urgent legal proceedings, an interdict and a claim for damages.
Lobishe could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
The dispute comes amid an increasingly bitter political fallout between Jack and Lobishe.
Jack resigned as the political head of the corporate services portfolio in May, saying he had become disillusioned with what he described as the deterioration of governance under Lobishe’s leadership and accusing the administration of failing residents.
Lobishe, however, said she had been preparing to fire Jack because she had been unhappy with his performance.
In the letter sent to Lobishe on Monday, Jack’s lawyer, Neville Gawula, said her statements that Jack was responsible for comrades who were arrested, jailed and disappeared during apartheid were defamatory and had damaged his reputation.
Lobishe made the remarks during her mayoral speech at last week’s council meeting after Jack had spoken earlier.
“While our client does not wish to become embroiled in unnecessary disputes, he is of the view that you ostensibly, during your widely publicised speech in the media, made certain defamatory and untrue statements relating to our client,” Gawula said.
He said her remarks were wrongful, unlawful and defamatory, made on a public platform with the intention of defaming his client and injuring his good name, status, character and reputation.
“We wish to highlight that the statement which you have made already caused our client damage, which is being quantified.”
Gawula said the comments were understood to mean, or at least insinuate, that Jack was responsible for the deaths and disappearances of comrades in or around 1978.
He further argued that the remarks conveyed implied he was dishonest, had lied to the public and lacked integrity.
“We are instructed that the statement is wholly inaccurate and is, in fact, untrue.
“The statement appears to have been made with an ulterior motive and is aimed at causing our client harm and prejudice.”
He gave Lobishe until noon on Wednesday to provide a written undertaking that she would immediately stop spreading what they described as further untruths about their client and refrain from any conduct that could damage his reputation.
“By no later than 12pm on Wednesday, provide our client with a written apology and a public retraction of the statement by way of the media and social media platforms, Facebook, and X.
“Should you fail, [or] alternatively refuse to comply with our client’s demands within the period provided, our client reserves his right to, in addition to any other remedies he may have in law, institute the appropriate proceedings interdicting you from taking any further unlawful action against our client — urgent and otherwise — and thereafter to recover all damages sustained by him due to your wrongful and unlawful conduct.”
At the Thursday council meeting, Jack spoke after Lobishe’s mayoral address.
“Regrettably, the mayor dared to abuse a sacred platform like a memorial service to raise political battles instead of maintaining the dignity of her office,” Jack said at the time.
“That is despicable misbehaviour that not only rubbed salt into the wounds of the Jackson family and assaulted, disrespected the audience that came to pay respect to the CFO.”
Jack was referring to former Nelson Mandela Bay chief financial officer Jackson Ngcelwane, who died in August.
“Hence, people correctly started to trickle out during her undignified speech,” Jack said.
“The abuse of officials by politicians, especially under her rule, is a monument of shame.
“You need to improve the lives of the people.
“Social exhibition is meaningless and is no sign of leadership.
“In parliament, they told you about your conduct.
“You don’t change. You don’t learn anything.”
In March, parliament’s portfolio committee on co-operative governance and traditional affairs raised serious concerns about what it described as a failure of accountability in the mayor’s office after several parliamentary requests for information had gone unanswered.
When Lobishe responded at the council meeting, she said: “I feel pity for him because he must consistently drag my name so that he is deemed relevant.
“We’re not even aware whether he’s speaking the truth when he’s quoting 1976 or 1984 because we’ve seen as far as the years we’ve lived.
“He is not a man of integrity.
“So how much more when we are waiting and literally taking what is debated to us as a means of history.
“But speaker, we now understand why so many comrades in the past have gone missing during their time.
“Why so many were jailed during their time.”
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