Ex-minister aggrieved by accusations of nepotism
Former cabinet minister and ANC national executive committee member Jeff Radebe has dragged businessman Kenny Kunene and his news website to court seeking an apology.
This comes after Kunene, also known as Sushi King, published a story that Radebe gave his alleged baby mama Onele Ludidi a job to avoid paying maintenance.
Kunene’s website African News 24-7, published by his company Kusema Media Group, ran an article under the headline: “How Ramaphosa’s special envoy, Je Radebe, gave top government job to baby mama to avoid paying papgeld.”
The article alleged that Radebe, who is married to businesswoman Bridge e Radebe, sired a child out of wedlock with Ludidi and initially paid her R5 000 in child maintenance per month.
Citing a source, the website further alleged that Ludidi complained years later that the moolah was insufficient and demanded that Radebe pay her R50 000 or use his influence to secure her an ambassadorial position.
“The source said Radebe rejected both demands, and instead secured a job for Ludidi in the presidency, where he was serving as minister,” alleges the website.
In the court papers, Radebe said Ludidi joined the office of the deputy president in March 2010 when he was minister of justice and constitutional development. He became minister in the presidency only in 2014, four years after Ludidi was employed in the presidency.
“Ms Ludidi was employed by Mr Busani Ngcwane, the then DDG [deputy director-general] in the office of the deputy president. At the time of her employment, she was already a public servant, having served in the office of the deputy minister of police. It is a blatant falsehood that whilst I was minister in the presidency, I secured Ms Ludidi a job in the residency as her appointment to the presidency preceded my appointment in this capacity by at least four years,” read the papers.
“The sting to the publication is that, in my capacity as minister in the presidency, I appointed a person with whom I had personal relations through nepotistic and corrupt process.”
Radebe’s version of events was supported by Ngcwane in the affidavit that he deposed to in court. In the affidavit, Ngcwane said he employed Ludidi in March 2010.
Radebe, who is a special envoy on energy, also disputed the website’s allegations that he has had multiple extra-marital affairs which produced love children.
“The publication, however, doesn’t reveal the facts to support these claims and the details of these romantic extra-marital relationships and by whom these children were born,” read the papers.
Radebe is pleading with the court to order Kunene’s company to remove the article from their website, publish a retraction and apologise to him and his family.
The matter will be heard next month. Kunene, the founder of Patriotic Alliance political party, said they stand by their story and are going to oppose the court application.
They are also going to summon MalcomX and Ludidi to be cross examined.
