Publication: Weekend Argus Issued: Date: 2007-12-08 Reporter: Wendy Jasson Da Costa

Controversial Author Apologises to Manuel

 

Publication 

Weekend Argus
Date

2007-12-08
Reporter Wendy Jasson Da Costa

Web Link

www.capeargus.co.za



Former ANC MP Andrew Feinstein apologised to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel yesterday for reproducing a misquote in his best-selling book about the controversial R60 billion arms deal.

Feinstein placed the apology in the Mail & Guardian after misquoting Manuel in his controversial book, After the Party: A Personal and Political Journey Inside the ANC.

But Feinstein yesterday said he would never apologise to anyone for the content of his book.

Feinstein, who previously challenged anyone to take action against him if they believed they had grounds to do so, said: "I feel very comfortable with what I have written and the veracity of what I have written."

However, the Manuel issue was a different story as Feinstein had picked up the quote from a newspaper and had seen it in several other books, without knowing that the newspaper had apologised to Manuel for the mistake.

Part of the apology, which is expected to be placed in weekend newspapers as well, said: "Feinstein acknowledges that he misquoted the minister on the issue of anti-retrovirals in Parliament in 2003. Feinstein and Jonathan Ball Publishers apologise unreservedly to the minister for this and regret any harm, inconvenience and embarrassment caused to the Minister as a result."

Feinstein said Manuel had always had a balanced view on HIV/Aids and that he had since "substituted the original quote I used from Hansard".

And he was confident that neither the correction nor apology would affect the sales of the book or the context of that chapter.

Feinstein said: "It was all dealt with through the publishers' lawyers. I only got involved in adjusting the wording."

He also confirmed that changes would be made to the new edition of the book while "erratum pages" would be placed in all unsold copies of the book.

Yesterday a spokesperson for the National Treasury, Thoraya Pandy, said someone had alerted Manuel to the mistake who then pointed it out to Feinstein and the publishers who agreed to apologise.

With acknowledgement to Wendy Jasson Da Costa and Weekend Argus.