Former president FW de Klerk has dismissed a report by the Mail & Guardian on Friday that he tutored the Democratic Alliance’s Mmusi Maimane on leadership.
The report carried by the M& G cited senior DA officials as its sources‚ but did not name them.
“There is no truth in the rumours that I am ‘tutoring Mmusi Maimane’‚” De Klerk said in a statement. “He has never been to my home and never sought my advice ‘on speeches and leadership and acting presidential’.
“I only met him once‚ at my office‚ in March 2015‚ when he paid me a courtesy visit.”
The DA leader also dismissed the claim that he meets De Klerk regularly.
Speaking to Redi Tlhabi on Radio 702‚ Maimane said he had only met De Klerk once and this had not been to discuss leadership. He said he had met a wide range of political leaders and challenged the newspaper to look at De Klerk’s diary for proof.
Maimane said he was sure the entire DA federal executive was behind him and he doubted they had leaked the story as was reported.
In an interview with 702 on Friday morning‚ M& G editor-in-chief Verashni Pillay said the publication followed due process when investigating the allegations and called the DA numerous times for an official response to what could have been a smear campaign‚ but none was forthcoming.
“I cannot count the number of times we called Maimane’s spokesperson trying to get a response‚” she said. “We held the pages waiting for their reply.”
Pillay added that if there are widespread allegations that a number of “your (DA) black leaders feel you are taking leadership lessons from a former apartheid president‚ and you don’t deal with the perception‚ that in itself is newsworthy“.
DA spokesperson Phumzile van Damm said: “I have a lot of respect for Verashni‚ but the story she published today was wrong and she knows that.”
De Klerk added that it was also untrue that he at any stage said “that black people are more racist than white people”. The report which appeared to this effect was untrue and the FW de Klerk Foundation is taking steps to correct this‚ he said.
De Klerk rejects report that he tutored DA's Maimane
The report carried by the M& G cited senior DA officials as its sources‚ but did not name them.
“There is no truth in the rumours that I am ‘tutoring Mmusi Maimane’‚” De Klerk said in a statement. “He has never been to my home and never sought my advice ‘on speeches and leadership and acting presidential’.
“I only met him once‚ at my office‚ in March 2015‚ when he paid me a courtesy visit.”
The DA leader also dismissed the claim that he meets De Klerk regularly.
Speaking to Redi Tlhabi on Radio 702‚ Maimane said he had only met De Klerk once and this had not been to discuss leadership. He said he had met a wide range of political leaders and challenged the newspaper to look at De Klerk’s diary for proof.
Maimane said he was sure the entire DA federal executive was behind him and he doubted they had leaked the story as was reported.
In an interview with 702 on Friday morning‚ M& G editor-in-chief Verashni Pillay said the publication followed due process when investigating the allegations and called the DA numerous times for an official response to what could have been a smear campaign‚ but none was forthcoming.
“I cannot count the number of times we called Maimane’s spokesperson trying to get a response‚” she said. “We held the pages waiting for their reply.”
Pillay added that if there are widespread allegations that a number of “your (DA) black leaders feel you are taking leadership lessons from a former apartheid president‚ and you don’t deal with the perception‚ that in itself is newsworthy“.
DA spokesperson Phumzile van Damm said: “I have a lot of respect for Verashni‚ but the story she published today was wrong and she knows that.”
De Klerk added that it was also untrue that he at any stage said “that black people are more racist than white people”. The report which appeared to this effect was untrue and the FW de Klerk Foundation is taking steps to correct this‚ he said.
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