‘I won’t apologise’: Kunene digs in against Malema’s R1m lawsuit

Kenny Kunene

Johannesburg – Patriotic Alliance deputy president Kenny Kunene says he will contest a defamation lawsuit brought against him by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, describing the legal action as an abuse of the courts.

In a media statement issued on 26 March 2026, Kunene confirmed that he has filed an answering affidavit in response to Malema’s claims, attaching what he described as supporting affidavits from key witnesses.

The dispute stems from comments Kunene made during an appearance on the podcast Podcast and Chill with MacG, which Malema alleges were defamatory.

“In his lawsuit, triggered by the interview I had on ‘Podcast and Chill with MacG’, Malema claims I defamed him, including by referring to him as ‘a boy’, a term he claims is racist,” Kunene said.

He added that Malema also objected to remarks about his alleged living arrangements and associations.

“He also claims I defamed him by saying he lives in the backroom of Adriano Mazzotti. Malema also takes issue with references to his relationship with Jotham ‘Mswazi’ Msibi,” Kunene said.

Kunene maintained that some of the matters raised are already in the public domain.

“It is a matter of public record that Malema attended and spoke at Mr Msibi’s funeral,” he said, adding that the allegations were included in his affidavit “to the extent I deem necessary”.

According to Kunene, Malema is seeking a public apology and damages amounting to R1 million.

“Malema further demands that I make a public apology and pay damages of R1 million. I want to put it on record that I have no intention of apologising to Mr Malema,” he said.

Kunene said he intends to defend himself in court and present evidence to support his claims.

“I will defend myself in court and will present evidence in support of my position,” he said.

He further claimed that this is not the first legal dispute between the two.

“I must indicate that this is the third time Malema files a lawsuit against me. I view this as nothing but shameless abuse of our courts by someone who thinks he is the only one entitled to our hard-earned freedom of expression,” Kunene said.

Kunene said he is prepared to proceed with the matter in court and is available for media interviews from Friday, 27 March.

Malema and the EFF had not responded to the claims at the time of publication.

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