Naledi Pandor says Julius Malema is hiding behind his lawyers, as she insists on public apology

Chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Foundation board, Dr Naledi Pandor has continued to insist on a public apology from Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

Malema alleged that the former international relations and cooperation minister received a bond from now collapsed VBS Mutual Bank.

Last month, IOL reported that the former minister had strongly refuted allegations made by Malema, with Pandor describing the allegations as baseless.

On Wednesday, Pandor said Malema lacks the courage to admit that he lied against her.

“On September 17, 2024, on a live TV programme, Mr Julius Malema lied about me severely injuring my dignity and good name. He told his TV host that I had received a VBS loan. I have never applied for nor received a VBS loan,” said Pandor.

“I instructed my attorneys to demand that Mr Malema retract the personally offensive, untrue statement and issue a public apology knowing that he had lied,” she said.

“Typically, after slandering my reputation and impairing my dignity, Mr Malema has gone undercover leaving his attorneys to correspond with me as his shield.”

Pandor said Malema’s legal representatives insist their client denies the defamation claim.

“On Mr Malema’s behalf, they make the following claim, amongst others, that: ‘Our client denies that he unlawfully and intentionally defamed your client’,” said Pandor.

“Furthermore, and oddly enough, they remark that: ‘While our client understands that his remarks may have been perceived as harsh, they were intended to contribute to the public conversation around the VBS scandal rather than harm your client (Pandor)’.”

Pandor said: “Whilst I have no intention to canvas the full contents of his attorney’s correspondence, suffice to say that it patently indicates that Mr Malema was flying a kite by his scurrilous and vicious attack on my person.”

The former minister indicated that she was still demanding an apology.

“In the circumstances, I wish that Mr Malema shows the courage to retract the false statement and issue a public apology to the South African public and my family in whose eyes he falsely and with deliberate intent chose to irreparably lower my good standing and additionally impair my dignity,” said Pandor.

In the interview with SABC last month, Malema had insisted that many other African National Congress (ANC) leaders — other than the under-fire Justice Minister Thembi Simelane — had benefited from VBS Mutual Bank.

“You are right, you are saying people are being held accountable. When I heard that he (Brian Shivambu) is paying back the money, that is part of being held accountable,” said Malema in the wide-ranging interview.

“[Former president and uMkhonto weSizwe Party leader Jacob] Zuma paid back the money, he also paid the VBS, if he did, the bond which he got,” he said.

“Naledi Pandor was also in the VBS bond or something ... Yes, she was there, they are your darlings, you’ll never know their names. You know the names of those you don’t like. To demonstrate there is no principle, many names, a lot of names are there. This is just used to blackmail people.”

IOL