The New National Party on Thursday warned ”certain individuals and institutions” that they are exposing themselves, through unfounded accusations, to possible civil and criminal defamation claims.
This came after two Democratic Alliance Western Cape MPLs laid charges of bribery and/or corruption against senior NNP members, including party leader and Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk, at Cape Town’s Caledon Square police station.
NNP media director Carol Johnson said this is ”immoral, unethical sewer politics at its worst”.
It has only one aim, namely character assassination against persons who have ”a long record of correct conduct” and who have not yet had the opportunity to respond to ”wild and vexatious allegations” in court papers, she said.
Unlike the DA, the NNP respects the jurisdiction of the court and the sub judice rule.
The DA’s conduct is a ”blatant abuse of the criminal justice system for party political objectives”.
”The NNP wishes to place on record that certain individuals and institutions are [at present] exposing themselves, through their unfounded accusations, to possible civil and criminal defamation claims,” Johnson said.
DA MPLs Robin Carlisle and Alan Winde laid the charges against former premier Van Schalkwyk, former provincial minister of education Andre Gaum, Parliament’s public accounts committee chairperson Francois Beukman, former provincial minister of agriculture, environment and development planning Johan Gelderblom, and the NNP. — Sapa