Eastern Cape MEC and Bantu Holomisa in nasty defamation lawsuit

To sue or not to sue, that seems to be the question on Eastern Cape MEC for transport Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe's mind after she filed defamation lawsuit against UDM leader Bantu Holomisa before withdrawing it, then saying it was back on again.

At the centre of the lawsuit confusion is a tweet by Holomisa last month which claimed that the MEC was the owner of a guesthouse which was to be used as a 'quarantine area' for Covid-19 patients.

It was later established that the Mioca Lodge is owned by Kwakhanya Tikana, who is the MEC's daughter.

The patients were hastily moved to a local hospital  just hours after Sowetan's sister publication, the Daily Dispatch questioned the provincial government about processes followed.

Tikana-Gxothiwe initially filed the  lawsuit against UDM leader Bantu Holomisa over the tweet which she said had 'damaged her reputation'.

The Sowetan is in possession of the leaked lawsuit papers in which Tikana-Gxothiwe demands R500,000 against Holomisa.

One of the terms stipulated in the defamation papers is that Holomisa should apologise for the tweet and get the apology published in the Daily Dispatch newspaper.

After receiving communication from Holomisa’s lawyer saying that he would defend the matter in court, her lawyer then sent a letter to Holomisa notifying him that she would 'no longer pursue the matter'. 

The email from Advocate Pieterson reads: “Please ignore the summons and my previous email to you . We will not pursue the matter in the light of new developments."

When contacted for comment Holomisa seemed puzzled by the lawyer's reference to 'new developments'.

“What I do not know is the reference to 'new developments' by her lawyer Pieterson," he said.

Pieterson told Sowetan that he would  not divulge much on the matter as it is an ongoing case.

“The media will be addressed when the time is right,” Pieterson said, adding that the MEC is still suing Holomisa.