Search GoXtra News

Editor's Choice

OPINION: Corruption’s Chokehold: Rebuilding South Africa’s Stolen Dreams

As we stand on the precipice of a daunting future, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) mourns the tragic collapse of the South African stat...

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Kenny Kunene challenges the Sunday World to a law suit if apology is not published


The following is a letter from the well-known South African business man Kenny Kunene addresses to the local newspaper (Sunday World). I must say Kenny if the letter was written directly by him, well, he can make a good editor for the Sunday World and the Sowetan newspaper too. LOL at the Sunday World!

Dear Sunday World

The word “allegedly “is not a get out of jail free card for all journalists, and I intend to prove that by using the unfounded and vindictive article on page 1 and 2 of 27 November 2011 as a case study. Ngwako Malatjis article claims to have an anonymous source which is supposedly a family relative of mine. This supposed source seems to believe that my wife, Mathato, and I are getting a divorce.

This is the first major error in your article. We are not getting a divorce, nor is it something that either of us have ever even considered. Please feel free to confirm this fact with Mathato, if she could ever even be induced to speak to you in the first place, as speaking to anyone from Sunday World is a lot like trying to kiss a cobra.

The second falsehood in the article is the statement that Ezra is my cousin. He is not, a fact that should hardly be difficult to prove. He has made it utterly clear that he never said any of the things that your article claims, and he is willing to make a sworn affidavit to this effect. Find attached an email from Ezra distancing himself from your bullshit story.


Thirdly, you claim that my “affair” with Eda Rose (not “Edith” can you not even get someone’s name right?) incensed Mathato. This is untrue. My wife does not care about anything that happens on my TV show. Eda Rose was my date to a wedding. That controversy existed mainly in the mind of the media. My wife could not have cared less.

It’s no secret that I believe in polygamy, and my wife knows this. For your fourth blunder, your source claims that my family “reprimanded me for my licentiousness” in a “series of meetings”. These meetings never took place. I would like to see any proof you have that they did. No one in my family has reprimanded me. I would never tell my wife to jump into the nearest lake. That’s not a phrase that even exists in my lexicon. I don’t speak to my family like that.

Fifth error: I have never stopped visiting my family home in Welkom. Not long before your article ran, I was at my house with my wife and kids filming an episode of So What? My wife was interviewed during this and spoke of how strong our marriage is. I have this evidence, timecoded on Panasonic cameras. In return, ask yourselves, what evidence do you have? Your claim that I dont even go to my house, is aimed at creating perception that I am an irresponsible father who does not even visit his children, which is completely untrue.

Most importantly, the insinuation that my wife is sleeping around is one that does not sit well with either of us At all. You have not only insulted a mother, a wife, a sister but have also insulted a teacher whom those young kids under her guidance look up to.  Your choice of words does not erase the perception your article has created about Mathato. As for the ludicrous comment that Mathato said something snide about Ezra’s car, the article veers towards the absurd. She does not drive the same model as Ezra, as you claim. By the way I only have 2 kids with Mathato, not 3 as you fabricated.

Just wonder what type of journalist Sunday World employs, Xolile Mtshazo can’t even get his facts right about when the first Sushi Party happened which was last year. My wife and children don’t stay in Odendaalsrus and Kutlwanong Township is not in Virginia, such stupidity, please get your facts straight before hating.

I realise I am in the public eye, so have accepted I will need to eat the dirt kicked into my face by reckless journalists as they supposedly dig for the truth. In reality, though, all they are succeeding in doing is clawing through a pile of steaming shit. When it comes to my family, I draw the line, no one including the Sunday World fucks with my family. No man can sit idly by and witness someone attempting to tear his life apart using nothing but lies and fabrication. It’s obvious to me that there is a vendetta against me at Sunday World. Previously, the paper had to print a retraction when it speculated groundlessly that my financial well-being is based on crime. Need I point out that this history will not look very good in court?

I am normally always willing to make a comment and to give time to a journalist. The writer, however, did not reveal the full extent of the libel that you eventually opted to publish, so I was not given the opportunity to respond and perhaps save you from yourselves. Finally, your seventh deceit is that you claim that you could not reach Mathato at the time of going to print. Her phone is never off. We can print out copies of her phone records to show that you did not attempt to contact her. If your source was so close to my wife, you’d think the least he/she would have would be a phone number. Once again, I wonder how this is going to look before a judge?

I am willing to find out. The question is, is Sunday World? I am going to give your paper the same opportunity I afforded it the last time. Print a retraction and an apology. I’m not talking about an insignificant box on the corner of the front page or whatever page. I’m talking about a proper retraction, as prominent on the front page as the libel you published on the 27th.

Failing this, we are heading for a very interesting civil suit, one that I must tell you I am actually looking forward to. Perhaps your mystery source is the one I should be suing, but for now I couldn’t even begin to speculate about such a person, so I can only assume that this person is as much a figment of your imaginations as Ezra’s comments were. I wonder if a judge will believe that you really have a source. I wonder how easy you might find it to introduce the two of them to one another.

Last I checked, no judge on this planet has imaginary friends. So I doubt they’ll appreciate imaginary witnesses. Don’t think I don’t like a good fight. But if you print the retraction, I will be true to my word, and leave you to write your nonsense for another day.

This type of journalism makes one understand why most politicians and celebrities don’t co-operate with journalists, because some of you use the platform you have to hate and commit your time and energy to destroy those you have an agenda against. It’s really sad. I have never stopped any journalist from writing stories about me, it is their pap and milk. Lies have been written about me but when you involve my family I don’t give a fuck how big or a giant you see yourself to be, I will take you on.

I will be waiting in anticipation for a retraction and apology this Sunday, failing which my legal team will be communicating with you not me.

Letter by Kenny Kunene

©The views expressed above DO NOT in any way represent GoXtra News, but that of the concerned writer. For publication errors email: publisher@goxtranews.com/ for editorial editor@goxtranews.com. Follow us on twitter here for more information send your email to info@goxtranews.com.



No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Twitter Bird Gadget