North West ANC Deputy Secretary and Education MEC Viola Motsumi has applied for an interdict against ward councillor Obakeng Kgonare and businessman Godfrey Moleko Mooketsi, alleging they defamed and threatened her political career. 

In court papers filed before the Mahikeng High Court last week, Motsumi denies threatening to castrate Kgonare and resurrect his mother, saying he fabricated stories about her after she turned down his demands for government tenders. 

She has applied for a declaratory order stating that Kgonare and Mooketsi defamed and unlawfully infringed on her right to dignity and reputation by spreading false claims in mainstream and social media.  

The provincial ANC leader also rejected Kgonare’s statement that she defied North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi by demanding that she appoint her own head of department. She also dismissed claims that she created parallel ANC structures, and rigged internal processes in favour of preferred candidates.  

Motsumi said in her papers that Kgonare’s statements sought to portray her as a corrupt politician who disrespected senior leadership and was thus worthy of being fired as Education MEC. 

In the same court papers, filed urgently on December 9, Motsumi said Mooketsi spread false rumours that she had an adulterous relationship with former ANC Youth League (ANCYL) President Collen Maine, which produced a love child. She said Mooketsi concocted the story to hit back at her for resisting his demands for tenders.  

However, Kgonare said Motsumi’s application was a sign she was “a weak” leader who did not want to be held accountable. The Mahikeng Ward 10 councillor and Mooketsi insisted that their statements about Motsumi were factual and vowed to defend them in court. 

In November, African Times reported that Kgonare had opened a criminal case against Motsumi, accusing her of calling him with a private number and threatening to break his penis, castrate him and resurrect his late mother. The MEC had accused Kgonare of badmouthing her at a community meeting. 

In her 40-page court application, filed by her lawyers Tsotetsi & Mchunu Incorporated, Motsumi said Kgonare had defamed and threatened her political career.

This is because his statements could lead to Mokgotsi firing her as MEC and the ANC activating its step-aside rule and removing her from office for corruption and conference rigging.   

“In the context of Obakeng’s audio, the offending statement was intended to mean, and was understood by the ordinary listener, that I am corrupt, I protect corrupt officials, and I wreak [sic] the process of the ANC corruptly. In addition, the offending statement, in the context of Obakeng as a whole, was intended, and understood by the ordinary listener, to mean that I disrespect the leadership of the Premier and I do as I wish without respecting leadership,” Motsumi said. 

Motsumi also took issue with Kgonare’s statement that she threatened to break his penis, castrate him and resurrect his late mother.  

“In the context of the electronic media article, the offending statement was intended to mean, and was understood by the ordinary reader to mean, that I am [a] vulgar person, and that I lack respect and humility,” she added. 

The North West Education MEC said in her court papers that Mooketsi recorded various voice notes between December 2023 and February 2024, accusing her of stealing public funds and having a love child with Maine.

“He further made defamatory statements against me, alleging that I committed adultery with erstwhile MEC Collen Maine that resulted in me giving [birth to a] child who does not look like me or my husband. On or about June 2024, I opened a criminal case of crimen injuria in Mahikeng Police Station under CAS Number 256/11/2023. He was arrested and the matter [was] referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to guide the investigations,” Motsumi said in her court papers. 

She said Mooketsi’s voice notes were hurtful and defamatory. 

“The offending voice, in the context of which I operate as a public figure, to the ordinary listener, means that i had an adulterous relationship with Collen Maine, and we have a child together. The statements are not true and [are] hurtful to me, my husband and [are] deliberately defamatory,” Motsumi maintained. 

She said Mooketsi’s voice notes were recorded with the sole intention of injuring and damaging her reputation. Motsumi said she gave Kgonare and Mooketsi an opportunity to retract their offending statements and apologise, but they refused. 

“They maintain that the facts are true, but they refuse to state those facts. At the same time, they state that they will not cease defaming me,” stressed Motsumi. 

“I lost greatly from the respondents’ defamation of me, both personally and politically. My family is stressed as a result, [the] potential of me not making it to the Provincial Executive Committee and [the] possibility of being recalled as the MEC, because of the step-aside-policy.” 

Motsumi seeks an order declaring that her “right to dignity, in particular, her right to a good name and reputation, has been unlawfully infringed by the respondents who, during the period November 2024, published defamatory statements concerning her on social media and Whatsapp.” 

She also wants the court to prevent Kgonare and Mooketsi from “continuing to publish and or republishing the offending statement, or any statement that repeats or implies some or all of the allegations therein”. 

Motsumi has asked the court to impose a cost order against Kgonare and Mooketsi on the scale of two counsels. 

When approached for comment, Kgonare and Mooketsi confirmed receipt of the court papers and said they would defend the matter.

The Ward Councillor said they would defend themselves in court and “fight for our reputation”.

Moreover, Kgonare accused Motsumi of fabricating stories to avoid accountability.  

“If you are a political leader, how can you be afraid to be questioned by your own people? If you say these people are talking about me in the media, you must come down and address them about their dissatisfaction, not to go and utter vulgar words as if you are not a leader of an organisation.”

“So, she’s showing her weakness by going to court and saying defamation of character. On what basis? You are the one who wronged the councillor by uttering vulgar words. How many people as a councillor am I leading? But you will hear none of them saying I uttered vulgar words because it is my responsibility to account to them,” said Kgonare.    

He added: “She [Motsumi] is the one who made a TikTok video saying she is going to thwasa [train as a Sangoma]. It’s not us. We are holding her accountable for the things she said. Now she’s turning those things against us.”

Mooketsi said he stood by his statements about Motsumi.

“What I said about Motsumi is true. I am not lying. She is the one who told me she was dating Collen Maine. We were too close. Even though we got the court papers late, we will defend the matter in court,” he said. 

The urgent application is expected to be heard on December 30.