Publication: The Natal Witness
Issued:
Date: 2005-10-19
Reporter: RM Young
Reporter:
Reporter:
| Publication |
The Natal Witness
|
| Date |
2005-10-19 |
|
Reporter
|
R.M. Young
|
|
Web Link
|
www.witness.co.za
|
Letters
I
was quoted in Susan Segar's excellent article "Why Zuma won't tell all" (Weekend
Witness, October 15) as being "outspoken" on the Arms Deal. While I do not feel
that what was I quoted as saying was particularly outspoken, what intrigues me
was the response from Ronald Suresh Roberts.
Thus far I have not known
Roberts as being someone particularly knowledgeable about the Arms Deal, but I
suppose that as he is the author currently writing a biography on President
Thabo Mbeki, I might be wrong.
Nevertheless he rebuts my claims as "mere
defamation'', but neither does he provide any backing for such rebuttal, nor
does he explain why my claims might be defamatory.
One might have
expected more from Roberts who is apparently both a Harvard-trained lawyer and
someone who is suing a major publishing house
*1 for R750 000 for defamation in the Cape High
Court.
I consider the situation to be remarkable *2 that someone, who should know better,
should publicly write off my claims (which I believe I have good grounds for
believing to be both true and in the public interest) as merely defamatory, but
without offering any supporting facts or cogent argument.
In the
meantime, I sincerely look forward to Roberts's biography of Mbeki and hope that
nothing should impede its completion or publication.
R. M.
Young
Cape Town
*1 For writing an
article :
- http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=271&fArticleId=2886549
*2 Original = "unlikeable", but that
got lost in the translation.