Former head of risk at African Bank, Tami Sokutu has apologised for his previous “fuck the poor” remark, the Sunday Times reported.

Nearly, a month after Sokutu made his infamous remark in the wake of the bank’s collapse — largely from bad debt — he issued a letter of apology.

“I’m writing to reiterate my apology to all African Bank stakeholders –customers, staff, investors, shareholders and the board — for the hurt I’ve caused them through my remarks,” he said in a letter to the Sunday Times.

Sokutu said that his previous interview with the newspaper “gave the impression that I don’t care about the millions of poor South Africans who’ve lost money as a result of the current problems facing African bank”.

Sokutu was previously quoted in the newspaper as repeating: “F*** them, f*** them” in relation to people who had obtained loans but could not afford to repay them.

These people had been listed as bad credit risks.

Sokutu — who has apparently made more than R50 million in share options and R35 million in salary and bonuses — officially left African Bank Investments Limited (Abil) in February this year.

The bank was placed under curatorship last month.