MK veterans defend Khusta Jack after mayor’s ‘attack’

Anti-apartheid activist and founder of the Abantu Integrity Movement (AIM), Mkhuseli “Khusta” Jack, says Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Babalwa Lobishe will have to explain and prove in court remarks he says falsely link him to comrades who were jailed or disappeared during the struggle for freedom.

Jack is set to approach the Gqeberha High Court after Lobishe missed last Wednesday’s deadline to retract remarks he says were defamatory, and sought to discredit his credentials as a struggle stalwart.

Sheriff’s letter

On Friday, 4 September, Jack had a Sheriff hand-deliver the letter to Lobishe’s office as a courtesy, he said, and to make sure it had been received and was therefore being deliberately ignored.

Lobishe made the statements at a council meeting on 27 August while responding to councillors, including Jack, who commented on her mayoral opening speech.

This followed criticism from Jack over the manner in which the late chief financial officer, Jackson Ngcelwane, who died last month, had been treated while he was ill.

“We are not even aware when he is telling the truth, when he quotes 1976 or 1984. As far as our experience with him, he is not a man of his word.

“How much more when we are waiting and literally taking what he is depicting to us as history. But speaker, now we understand why so many comrades in the past have gone missing during their time, why so many comrades were jailed during their time,” Lobishe said.

Members of the ANC-linked uMkhonto weSizwe Veterans League have now rubbished Lobishe’s statements, saying they worked alongside Jack for many years and had never heard so much as a rumour that he had betrayed or “sold out” his comrades.

Nelson Mandela Bay MK Veterans League regional chairperson Mzukisi Mpahlwa said Lobishe’s statement was unfortunate.

“Those of us who worked with him in the struggle since the 1980s know the kind of man he was and remains to be. We were arrested together in St Albans. I have never heard anyone during that period and even today saying there’s a suspicion that there are people who disappeared because of him. He is someone we hold in very high regard even today,” he stated.

“But if the mayor has proof of this, I’m sure she is entitled to say such and Mkhuseli is equally entitled to demand proof.”

Mpahlwa described Jack during the apartheid era as a vibrant orator who could address and inspire masses to take on the struggle. 

“He was brave, he led the consumer boycotts this side. He played a huge role in us and all of us respect him. Even when he decided to found his own party AIM, we still respect him. He is not our enemy.”

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Jack ‘no sell-out’

MK member Mlamli Tsotsi said while he did not have the full context of Lobishe’s statements, he was certain about the fact that Jack was no sell-out.

“The truth is that if Khusta was involved in anything close to that we would know because we have worked with him for years. It just cannot be true. Khusta has never worked with the system, he actually worked against it, we got arrested together.”

Another MK member, who asked not to be named, said it was sad that Lobishe had dragged Jack’s name through the mud, given his contribution to the liberation struggle.

“The mayor has basically implicated all of us who worked with Mkhuseli, because if he did those things we must have been there and did not say anything about it because we worked together.

“The mayor is wrong and should retract what she said and apologise. This matter does not have to go to court, the mayor just does not know what she is talking about.”

Lobishe did not respond to several requests for comment.

Speaking to Daily Maverick this week, Jack said Lobishe did not take kindly to criticism and had retaliated by making what he described as untrue statements intended to tarnish his reputation.

“We sent lawyer letters by all means at our disposal but she did not respond. We took a further step of sending the Sheriff to her office to make sure that it has been delivered, and we still have not heard from her.

“We will exhaust all the necessary steps permitted by law until we get to the stage where we go to court and register a defamation case. In court she will have to list everyone who died and link their deaths to me,” he said.

Jack said the failure to respond to the correspondence is the same conduct Lobishe displayed when the parliamentary committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) contacted her office on numerous occasions and was “blatantly and deliberately” ignored.

‘Verbally attacked him’

According to Jack, Lobishe verbally attacked him after he responded to remarks she made about him at Ngcelwane’s recent memorial service.

“The mayor attacked me out of the blue during the service I was not even attending, saying I had written nonsensical letters to the national government. I got a chance to respond in council when she mentioned Jackson during her opening remarks in council.”

Jack said Lobishe was unaware that he had visited Ngcelwane’s family and explained the pressure he had been under from the current government.

The exchange came against the backdrop of tensions between Jack and Lobishe. Jack resigned from the mayoral committee in May, saying he had become “disillusioned” with the deterioration of governance under Lobishe’s leadership and could not remain part of an administration he believed was failing residents.

Lobishe, in turn, said Jack had failed residents, and that she would have fired him had he not resigned.

Talking about the criticism he levelled at Lobishe about the treatment of Ngcelwane, Jack said, “It was during one of the mayoral committee meetings when the mayor demanded that Jackson be called from home when he was booked off sick to answer to budget-related matters.

“He came, and after what he came to answer for was done, I asked if he could be allowed to go home. An official even stated that they were aware that he was booked off and did not simply abscond. I believe this is where this attack stems from.

“In another meeting, Jackson was lambasted harshly to the point where the acting city manager Lonwabo Ngoqo stood up for him, saying if their colleague was being treated that way they would leave the meeting.” 

Jack was initially part of the ANC-led coalition government until he resigned in May due to governance and failures.

Legal input

Jack’s lawyer, Neville Gawula, wrote to Lobishe on 4 September, saying her remarks made it seem that his client was responsible for comrades who were arrested, jailed or disappeared during the apartheid era.

“Whilst our client does not wish to become embroiled in unnecessary disputes, and he is of the view that you ostensibly, during your widely publicised speech in the media, have made certain defamatory and untrue statements relating to our client.

“The statement refers to our client being responsible for comrades who have been arrested, and/or jailed and disappeared during the apartheid era. The statement: wrongful, unlawful, defamatory, made on a public platform, widespread, made with the intention of defaming our client and injure his good name, status, character and reputation.”

Gawula said the statement suggested that Jack was dishonest, had lied to the public and lacked integrity – allegations he described as wholly inaccurate and untrue.

“The statement appears to have been made with an ulterior motive and is aimed at causing our client harm and prejudice. We wish to highlight that the statement which you have made already caused our client damage, which damage is being quantified. 

“Should you fail, alternatively refuse to comply with our client’s demands within the period provided, our client reserves his rights to, in addition to any other remedies he may have in law, institute the appropriate proceedings interdicting you from taking any further unlawful action against our client (urgent and otherwise) and thereafter to recover all damages sustained by him due to your wrongful and unlawful conduct.  

Should such action be necessary, our client will seek that you be held liable for all costs incurred in having to institute proceedings against you, on the highest permissible scale,” wrote Gawula. DM