Freda Adams tells of 'threats'

2003-06-03 13:14

Cape Town - The High Court civil case involving Western Cape politicians was told on Tuesday that New National Party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk had obliquely threatened a former MEC when she wanted to take a colleague to court.

Freda Adams was telling of a meeting on October 25 2000, between herself, her then-attorney Johan du Plessis, Van Schalkwyk, then-premier Gerald Morkel and André Gaum.

Adams told the court Van Schalkwyk had said it was not convention to take a senior member of the party - Peter Marais - to the high court.

Adams is suing Marais, now leader of the New Labour Party, and Morkel. Morkel and Marais are former premiers of the Western Cape and former mayors of Cape Town.

Marais faces two defamation claims - one for R125 000 and the other for R1m - and a R1.2m claim for sexual harassment.

Morkel is facing a defamation claim of R500 000.

Marais has lodged a counter-claim of R2.5m for defamation.

According to Adams, Van Schalkwyk said: "It is against party policy and you know what this means."

Adams said she interpreted this to mean that it was only a matter of time before the party would find some or other reason to get rid of her.

Handed in her resignation

Adams said she decided to take her fate into her own hands, even if it meant selling her house to pay for legal costs. She was not going to allow Marais to get away with insulting her.

"If they think (I was) going to offer my womanhood, dignity and integrity on the table for political participation, it is too much," she said.

Adams said she handed in her resignation as a member of the NNP and of the provincial legislature there and then.

According to Adams, she had previously told Van Schalkwyk about Marais insulting her a month before in September, but promises of feedback from the party leader proved fruitless.

Rulings on taped conversations

Marais is alleged to have told Adams at a political rally in Salt River in September 2000 that if he looked like her he would hide away.

Earlier, Judge Anton Veldhuizen ruled that a taped recording of a taped conversation by Adams with NNP Oudtshoorn councillor Ellen Prins could not be allowed to be submitted as evidence.

He ruled that allegations of sexual harassment prior to August 1999 were not permissible because it was "irrelevant" and letters attesting to the character of Adams also would not be allowed.

The judge ruled that an extract from a taped conversation between Adams and Morkel could be allowed once its veracity and accuracy had been tested.

- SAPA