South African billionaire, Patrice Motsepe has indicated that he will file an urgent application to stop the Sunday Standard from reporting further about his financial pledge to former President Lt Gen Ian Khama.
Motsepe’s lawyers, Armstrong Attorneys on Thursday filed a notice before High Court Judge Gabriel Komboni after the Sunday Standard refused to make an undertaking to kill the story in exchange for Motsepe withdrawing the law suit against the paper.
Armstrongs Attorneys had demanded “a permanent undertaking that it will not publish any false and defamatory material regarding our client of whatsoever nature, and in particular relating to any funding which your client alleges our client has paid or pledged to Ms Venson-Moitoi or any other political figure in Botswana.
“A written retraction and apology to our client in respect of the article already published concerning this subject. In the event that your client is willing to provide the permanent undertaking, apology and retraction sought, our client will not institute further proceedings in relation to the article of 9th June 2019 and will engage you with a view to settling the summons already issued in respect of the 1 April 2019 article.”
Sunday Standard lawyer Gosego Lekgowe of Dinokopila Lekgowe Attorneys responded by return mail stating, “Client will not provide any undertaking, apology or retraction as sought by your Patrice Motsepe. We hope the above is in order and Client’s rights are accordingly reserved.”
