AfriForum, the South African civil rights organization, may find itself embroiled in a costly legal battle as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) threaten to sue the organization for defamation.
The controversy arises from AfriForum’s recent accusation that the EFF and Ian Levitt Attorneys falsified proof of payment for legal fees.
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This week, AfriForum posted two Standard Bank proof of payment notifications on social media, showing payments of R153,138.50 and R163,441.39 made by the EFF for legal fees.
However, political and social commentator Khaya Sithole raised concerns about the names of former bank directors appearing in the notification fine print.
Responding to the questions raised on social media, AfriForum spokesperson Ernst van Zyl stated that the organization wrote to Standard Bank’s fraud department to verify the documents.
Van Zyl confirmed that the bank had confirmed the documents were fraudulent. Standard Bank spokesperson Ross Linstrom told TimesLIVE that the bank is currently investigating the notifications but could not provide further details due to confidentiality obligations.
Meanwhile, Ian Levitt, the owner of the law firm mentioned in the accusation, vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “absolute rubbish.”
Levitt stated that it would be absurd for his firm to send fraudulent proof of payment when the money would naturally reflect in AfriForum’s account.
Levitt further criticized AfriForum for insinuating his firm’s involvement in doctoring documents, describing it as a personal fight between clients.
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In response to AfriForum’s accusation, the EFF has sent a letter through its lawyers, threatening legal action. The party has demanded a public apology from AfriForum for the allegations by 5pm on Friday.
Failure to comply would result in further legal action, including the pursuit of punitive costs.
AfriForum has confirmed receiving the letter from the EFF and is currently considering its response.
