The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande has become aware of false and defamatory statements that have been made about him verbally in the mainstream media on numerous occasions by Thuja Capital CEO, Mr Mthunzi Mdwaba.
These statements are not only false but have also caused substantial harm to Minister Nzimande’s reputation and well-being. As a result, the Minister dismisses these self-seeking allegations with the contempt they deserve.
The Minister values his reputation and integrity greatly and refuses to allow these defamatory statements to go unaddressed any longer. The false statements include, but are not limited to, bribery allegations by someone who is allegedly acting as his agent who allegedly solicited money from Mr Mthunzi Mdwaba.
Minister Nzimande has neither personally nor delegated anyone to approach Mr Mthunzi Mdwaba in a bid to secure “gateway fees” of R500m from a R500 billion UIF deal, which he claims he had secured as seed capital to create employment.
As a result, Minister Nzimande will serve a cease-and-desist letter for defamation to Mr Mthunzi Mdwaba.
The Minister wants to make it perfectly clear that he is prepared to take all necessary legal actions to protect his rights and seek damages for the harm caused by these defamatory statements. Defamation is a serious matter that can have significant legal consequences.
To avoid legal action by Minister Nzimande, Mr Mdwaba should:
- Immediately cease making any further defamatory statements about Minister Nzimande, both in public and in private.
- Issue a formal written apology to the Minister for the false statements that he has made. This apology should be sent to the Minister’s address within 07 days.
- Refrain from making any false statements about the Minister to any third parties, and request those who have received such statements to disregard them.
Should Mr Mdwaba fail to comply with these demands, Minister Nzimande will have no option but to take legal action against Mr Mdwaba to, amongst others, protect his rights and seek damages for the harm done to his reputation.
Enquiries:
Ishmael Mnisi
Cell: 066 037 8859
