For more than 10 years my family, some of my closest comrades and I have suffered the degrading personal and professional effects of a disinformation campaign originally authored by sisters and brothers in my own political party.
I have been falsely accused of a spectrum of the most hurtful things, from corruption and nepotism to thuggery - even racism. The fact that none of these allegations have been true seems to have counted for nothing.
My integrity has been brought into question, and I have lost positions and jobs. I am not the only victim. I believe the disinformation contributed fundamentally to the ANC losing power, first in the City of Cape Town and then in the Western Cape.
Despite a crooked journalist, former Cape Argus reporter Ashley Smith, spilling the beans on his role in what became known as the brown envelope scandal in the Western Cape, in which journalists deliberately targeted me, the foundations Smith and his co-conspirators laid continue to hurt me and others today.
I have called this briefing:
1. To inform you of an apology and cash payment for damages I have received as a consequence of an article written by one of your colleagues, Mr Ed Herbst; and
2. To appeal to the media and the public to judge me by my actions, and my passion to serve my people and my country, as a nation builder without constantly dragging me back to the negativity of the past, of which I was a victim.
On 19 May 2014 Bizcommunity published an article under the headline, "A slice for the Elite: Cape Town's 2005 media war", in which Herbst alleged, that I used the SABC to fight political battles within the ANC for personal gain, and was the "handler" of his then-boss, SABC regional manager, Mr Mzukisi Twala.
Herbst has admitted that his assertions are without foundation.
If you go to Bizcommunity's website today, you will see the following notice:
"Bizcommunity and Ed Herbst retract the allegations made in the article which are unsubstantiated and collectively unconditionally apologize for any harm caused to Mr Mcebisi Skwatsha by the publication of the article. The article has been removed from our website."
Bizcommunity and Herbst paid me a sum of R37 500 for damaging my reputation - which I will use to cover my legal costs.
But, of course, the malicious damage has been done. The admitted lie published. Over and over, and over, again.
I feel personally partly vindicated at least by the apology received from Bizcommunity and Herbst with regard to the specific article authored and published on 19 May. Others must now be addressed I won't feel satisfied until I know that the false flags hoisted by the brown envelope journalists have truly been confined to the rubbish bins of history. And that authors and publishers of malicious untruths are held to account.
It is high time to stop defining me, and the ANC by the very divisions certain journalists were paid to foster.
What we need to inspire people in the Western Cape is unity and a return to the values of our movement. This is where my energies, in the service of the people, are now focused.
Statement issued by the Hon. Mcebisi Skwatsha MP, August 3 2014
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
