Steve 'needs psychiatric help'

2008-12-17 22:52

Philip de Bruin

Johannesburg - "I really hope Steve Hofmeyr gets psychiatric help for his emotional problems and aggression."

This is what Esmaré Weideman, editor of Huisgenoot, YOU and Drum, said on Wednesday afternoon after Monday morning's incident at Sun City when Hofmeyr threw a cup of tea in her face.

Weideman said: "Hofmeyr may not get away with this. That's why Huisgenoot is thinking of taking legal action."

She said the incident happened on the breakfast terrace at the Lost Palace, hours before the crowning of the new Miss South Africa.

All kinds of abuse are wrong

"I was having breakfast with four colleagues and friends when the incident happened.

"Hofmeyr came up behind me, stopped next to the table and said: 'Morning, Esmaré'.

"When I got up to greet him, he threw the tea over me and walked away. Rumours that I had approached him first or had said something to him are not true.

"Personally, I would have liked to ignore the incident, but as editor of the biggest magazine in South Africa, as a journalist and as a woman I cannot leave it at that.

"I have a responsibility to protect Huisgenoot's name.

"Hofmeyr's accusation that the media is responsible for his divorce is bizarre and misplaced.

"He's looking for a dog to kick rather than taking responsibility for his actions.

"Huisgenoot doesn't have a vendetta against him; we are merely reporting what a well-known singer is doing.

"If he is in the news for the wrong reasons, he can't blame the media.

"Steve's attack on me as a person, journalist and woman was reprehensible.

"My editorial team and I - many of them phenomenal women - feel very strongly that such behaviour should not be ignored or justified.

"The magazines of which I am an editor have been running an anti-crime campaign for many years and regularly take a stand against any form of physical and emotional maltreatment of women.

"We also strongly condemn this attack on me and Huisgenoot."

Weideman said with possible legal action, "we don't want to fan a storm in a teacup; we want to say to and on behalf of women: Any form of violence, whether physical or emotional, in public or in your bedroom, is not acceptable."

She said she wasn't angry about the incident. "In fact, I feel very sorry for Steve".

At the time of going to press Hofmeyr had not yet responded to Weideman's statements.

- Beeld