South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni is expected to respond by the end of business on Friday to a demand for an apology from a shareholder.
”We do have until the end of business today [Friday], so call me after 5pm. It is with his lawyers at the moment,” his spokesperson, Samantha Henkeman, said.
He received a letter last month from shareholder Mario Pretorius who demanded an apology after Mboweni allegedly accused him of speaking in a racist manner at the September 18 annual meeting.
Pretorius twice told Mboweni he wanted to bring a point of order to the meeting, and when he was not acknowledged, said ”shocking”, which prompted the governor’s response.
”I shall not permit you to talk to me like whites used to talk to blacks,” Mboweni reportedly replied.
Pretorius, through his lawyer, Johan van Huyssteens, requested a public apology for the accusation, otherwise he would institute a claim of R1-million against him and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).
”Should your unsolicited branding of our client as a racist negatively influence his business, he obviously reserves the right to claim further damages from you [Mboweni] and SARB,” the letter read. — Sapa