/ 23 June 2011

Malema ‘sorry, sorry and very sorry’ for hate speech

Malema 'sorry

ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has apologised to “all women” — particularly President Jacob Zuma’s rape accuser — for his sexist remarks, the Star reported on Thursday.

“I am sorry, sorry and very sorry about that. And commit not to repeat the similar mistake again. Issues of women are sensitive, and once a person says ‘I’m offended’, it doesn’t matter whether you are right or not, you must have the capacity to say sorry.

“I want to say sorry to the lady and to the Sonke Gender [sic], and I commit to pay them that R50 000 and pay legal fees for that case,” he said.

According to the paper, Malema on Wednesday instructed his attorney to withdraw his appeal against the Equality Court case in which he was found guilty of hate speech and harassment.

During a pre-election campaign in 2009, Malema told about 150 supporters at the Cape Peninsula Technikon: “When a woman didn’t enjoy it, she leaves early in the morning. Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money.”

Malema also told the daily newspaper he would obey the March 2010 court verdict and pay the R50 000 fine to a centre for abused women, and pay Sonke Gender Justice Network’s legal fees.

In handing down judgment in the case in March 2010, Magistrate Colleen Collis had some advice for Malema.

“Mr Malema, being a man of vast political influence, be wary of turning into a man that often speaks but never talks,” she said. – Sapa