Open Society community safety director Ian Cameron has been forced to apologise to Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng and other black professionals, for accusing them of corruption.
Cameron, known for his fight against crime in the Western Cape, was last year told to “shut up” by Minister of Police Bheki Cele during an Imbizo in Gugulethu.
Last week, Cameron came under fire for labelling black professionals, who were due for a speaking engagement, including Phakeng, as corrupt.
Through her lawyers, Phakeng slammed Cameron for defaming her and other black professionals after he labelled them as corrupt following a speaking event poster on social media.
The speakers on the poster were advocates Dali Mpofu and Busisiwe Mkwhebane, Muzi Sikhakhane and former Eskom and Transnet executive Brian Molefe who were scheduled to address an event dated September 30, which Phakeng pulled out from.
In a letter seeking Cameron’s apology, lawyers Diale Magashoa Attorneys indicate that Cameron’s remarks: “paying a thousand bucks to listen to a group of utterly corrupt individuals. No thanks, I would rather watch their implication on the news”, were defamatory.
“It is our instruction that on or about 21 September 2023 and at approximately 20.02, the former Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, tweeted a promotional poster in which you will retweet the same message...it is our instruction that you replied to Mkhwebane’s tweet and published the afore-mentioned defamatory statement.
“Your tweet accuses our client (a mathematics academic professor and former VC of UCT), of being corrupt. You do so without tendering an iota of evidence to support your assertion,” the lawyers said in a letter dated September 29.
Phakeng considered Cameron’s comments racist and uncalled for and subsequently asked Cameron to apologise.
Through his lawyers, LT Pretorius Attorneys, Cameron apologised, saying he was unfamiliar with Phakeng and her standing prior to his recent tweet.
“Our client wishes to state his desire not to engage in unnecessary exchanges of correspondence and hopes for a speedy resolution to the matter... We consider it pertinent to bring to your attention that our client has already proffered an apology via a tweet on 22 September. It is noteworthy that the tweet has garnered views exceeding 550 000,” Cameron’s lawyers argued.
Cameron, through his lawyers, argued that he did not believe that Phakeng was corrupt but had been pointing to the other individuals in the poster whom his tweet was directed at.
“Our client was unaware of of Professor Phakeng’s specific inclusion in the referenced poster. His comments were directed towards other individuals in the poster, known for their involvement in publicised corrupt activities,” the lawyers said.