Kenny Kunene Rejects Calls to Apologise to Julius Malema in Defamation Dispute
Patriotic Alliance deputy president Kenny Kunene has firmly rejected calls to apologise to Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema in an escalating defamation dispute.
On Thursday, Kunene announced that he had submitted his answering affidavit, supported by statements from key witnesses, emphasising his determination to fight the matter in court.
The legal battle arose from Kunene’s comments during a February 2026 episode of Podcast and Chill with MacG. Malema claims Kunene defamed him by calling him “a boy,” a term he argues carries significant racist undertones in the South African context.
Malema also disputes Kunene’s claims that he left businessman Adriano Mazzotti’s “backroom” at night to meet the late taxi boss Jotham “Mswazi” Msibi, a member and leader of the so called Big Five cartel.
In his affidavit, Kunene stressed that it is a matter of public record that Malema attended and even spoke at Msibi’s funeral, a detail he says is relevant to the legal proceedings.
“I want to put it on record that I have no intention of apologising to Mr Malema. I will defend myself in court and present evidence in support of my position,” he said.
Describing Malema’s legal actions as “shameless abuse of our courts,” Kunene noted that this is the third such accusation from Malema, whom he claims believes he alone has the right to freedom of expression.
“I look forward to my day in court,” Kunene added, signalling his readiness to confront the matter head on.