Tshwanelang entangled in P7.5 million lawsuit
Larona Makhaiza | Monday November 25, 2024 12:32
Tshwanelang has been embroiled in legal battle over corruption allegations against Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), which has since sought a rule nisi (temporary court order) against him. The court order instructs that Tshwanelang should desist to make any publications or say anything about CEDA, he should retract his posts and publish an apology. The social media influencer alleges that the CEDA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Thabo Thamane and brand ambassador Serite, have been using CEDA to their own advantage to benefit directly from the institution and misuse public funds. However, Serite, represented by Kgosietsile Ngakaagae, is demanding that Tshwanelang pay money amounting to P7 million for the defamatory comments he made about him. In the court papers, Ngakagae argues that what Tshwanelang has been whistle blowing does not come anywhere near facts.
He stated that Tshwanelang has been wrong in all the circumstances. “You alleged that RocoMamas Toro in which he is a shareholder owns the franchise RocoMamas in Francistown and that he has been paid by CEDA to promote his own company. This statement is not true , RocoMamas has never applied for CEDA funding and has never received a CEDA loan,” Ngakaagae stated. Ngakaagae further argues that the franchise in Francistown is owned by Matish Holdings, a company that his client does not have shares at and has never been paid by CEDA to promote the restaurant. Additionally, Serite’s attorney stated that his client has only got a loan from CEDA once, and it was granted this year for his company. “CEDA has only funded one company of which Serite is a shareholder namely, Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd t/a Safari Compass. The loan application was in 2021 and approved in the year 2024. Client has no other loans with CEDA,” he added. Ngakaagae shared that CEDA has never rented cars from Safari Compass, a company owned by Serite. “Safari compass is a CEDA client having obtained financing from the same. CEDA has, however, never been a Safari Compass client. In brief Safari Compass has never received business from CEDA,” argued Ngakaagae. In response to the allegations levelled against his client, Ngakaage demands that Tshwanelang pay a staggering P7 million for defamation. “Payment to client of the sum of P3.5 million in compensation to client in person. Payment to client of the sum of P3.5 million in compensation to Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd t/a Safari Compass,” requested Ngakaagae.
On top of the P7 million lawsuit, Serite and his attorney demand that Tshwanelang retracts statements and utterances he made on his Facebook page and the text must be pre approved first. Further states that Tshwanelang should issue an apology on his social media to Serite and his company. Tshwanelang is expected to meet the demands within seven days upon receipt if not the matter will proceed to the High Court. Meanwhile, former minister Rakgare has filed a suit against Tshwanelang before the High Court. Rakgare states that Tshwanelang has dragged his name through the mud by publishing damning posts about him in his Facebook page. One of Tshwanelang’s posts about Rakgare stated that 'Öh He and his entire ministry once spent three months in Dubai. Did he tell you what they gained there? Nothing. It was just a government funded vacation. School sports collapsed under Rakgare. Arts collapsed under Rakgare. Abuse of drugs among the youth went up under minister Rakgare. His only success is he became a multi-millionaire. Timang Chillyboy Rakgare tlhopho madomi,” he remarked. Rakgare feels that what Tshwanelang published was far from the truth and dangerous.
“The words quoted in that paragraph are wrongful and defamatory of Rakgare and were intended to impute and were understood by readers to mean or impact that; Rakgare is corrupt, used public offices to amass wealth for himself, colludes with third parties to defraud government and is unfit to occupy public office,” he said. Rakgare has since filed a suit demanding Tshwanelang to pay him P500, 000 for tarnishing his name before Judge Zein Kebonang of the High Court.