Top lawyer and social media practitioner Tumi Sole says he will see a defamation of character lawsuit against a Joburg businesswoman through after what he calls “false” rape allegations levelled against him resurfaced.
Sole has served the businesswoman, Tinah Mashiloane, with a letter of notice indicating his intention to revive the lawsuit he initially filed against her in 2019 after she accused him of sexually assaulting her.
He dropped the lawsuit at the time after Mashiloane made a public statement apologising for the rape allegations saying they were “false”.
However, on Sunday night the allegations resurfaced on social media after the businesswoman was involved in a social media spat on X (formerly Twitter) over the Springboks Eastern Cape trophy parade that happened at the weekend.
In her posts, Mashiloane responded to a viral video in which a woman can be seen attempting to kiss the Springboks Captain Siya Kolisi during the parade, saying that black people are discourteous.
“Black people are just ill-mannered. You know that’s someone’s husband. Why do that?” she posted.
A back-and-forth conversation ensued when someone else replied to her comment with an article insinuating that she was no different because she accused Sole of raping her in 2019.
In the article, Mashiloane was quoted apologising to Sole for allegedly fabricating an incident that happened at a hotel in Durban where she alleged that Sole forced himself on her following a night of boozing.
She apologised after Sole unleashed his lawyers on her, accusing her of intimidation, and trying to extort money from him promising to destroy him if he did not pay her.
On Sunday, Mashiloane backtracked, claiming that she did not write that apology herself, she was only made to sign it and post it on her social media.
Businesswoman sticking to her claim
The businesswoman confirmed that she is sticking to her initial claim that the lawyer sexually assaulted her.
“Not sorry. Never was sorry. Never will be sorry. Go ask that piece of sh*t of a man what he did to me and my family. Ask him why there was money involved to begin with. I don’t regret a single thing.
“He is raising daughters. Three to be exact. May each one experience what he put me through. I don’t care for your insults. I am not sorry,” she said.
Sole clapped back with a letter from his lawyers, stating that he would see a defamation of character suit against Mashiloane through this time around.
The letter read: “Our client has proceeded with the necessary legal applications to protect his rights including but not limited to the issuing of a harassment application, the laying of criminal charges, and proceeding with a necessary civil suit.”
Sole declined to comment further on the matter.
