as the successful candidate on May 27. But prior to the announcement, the EFF released a statement that included several allegations against Kieswetter and Manuel, including that Kieswetter was the preferred candidate because he was related to Manuel, and that the two were close business associates. y to retract the"libellous" statement, which he dismissed as"racist". The EFF, in turn, called Manuel a"bully" and said it would not be silenced with a lawsuit.
"The process [of how candidates were selected and interviewed] was not 'run' by me - rather I oversaw the process, driven collectively by an independent panel of highly qualified, distinguished and independent individuals."5. Kieswetter as Manuel's relative "I am not related to Mr Kieswetter in any way. There is no acceptable basis on which the respondents could have reached such a conclusion. Indeed ... I believe the EFF suggested that Mr Kieswetter and I were relatives only because we were both designated coloured by the apartheid regime. No further comment is necessary."7. 'Malicious' statements
"Not only are the statements false, but it is inconceivable that the respondents could have genuinely believed them to be true. They were in possession of no information whatsoever that could have led them to believe that the process was corrupt, nepotistic or clandestine. The statement was accordingly malicious and was made with the sole intention to harm me.
Additionally, Manuel wants the EFF to pay damages - an amount which will be decided later should his application succeed - which would be donated to charity, as well as the costs of his counsel.