Marais claims political conspiracy

2003-08-14 20:00

Cape Town - Former Western Cape premier Peter Marais told the Cape High Court on Thursday that he believed sexual harassment allegations against him were part of political machinations in the province and had their origin in a Democratic Alliance plot to get rid of him.

Marais was responding to questions put to him by Fiona Gordon-Turner, representing plaintiff Freda Adams, who wanted to know about accusations of sexual harassment by three other women, one of whom was 76 years old, against Marais.

"... It was a time of a lot of political upheaval and they (the DA) wanted to paint a picture of me as a sexual harasser. They had a meeting in the Marx building to get six women to say he (Marais) was guilty of sexual harassment, even it was 12 year ago," he said.

Marais added that they thought that if enough dirt was thrown at the wall, a picture of a sexual misconduct would be created.

Asked by Gordon-Turner if he thought the sexual harassment accusations were part of a "political conspiracy", Marais said "most definitely".

He said nothing came of the allegations which were widely reported in the media.

"They wanted to get me out politics, but it's not so easy. The truth will set me free," he said.

Former political masters

Marais also turned on his former political masters in the National Party, saying that party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk took over the premiership after the party had asked him to step down while the furore over an alleged rape subsided.

"After six to eight months there was not a single shred of evidence... the police didn't question me and no charges were put to me," said Marais, alluding to the alleged rape reported by the former secretary of the province's director-general Dr Niel Barnard. Marais had dismissed Barnard when he became premier.

Marais said Van Schalkwyk was promised a national cabinet position, but because President Thabo Mbeki didn't approve, the New National Party and the African National Congress devised a plan to get Marais out of office by taking advantage of the sexual harassment accusations.

'Professional politician'

Describing himself as a "professional politician" Marais said he was "not proud" that he had told Adams "that if I looked like you, I'd hide away".

"In a political fight like that (the occasion where the alleged verbal abuse took place) one shouldn't stand in the front line if you don't want to be shot," he said, adding he would be prepared to retract the statement if Adams first withdrew having said: "Sies, kyk hoe lyk jy", which had acted as a catalyst to his retort.

Drama

Earlier, there was slight drama when Andre du Plessis was ordered from the court on the instructions of the national secretary of Marais' new party, the New Labour Party, Colin du Sart. Du Sart had called the court orderlies.

Du Sart said during the verbal altercation outside the court that Du Plessis had made "vulgar comments outside the court and blown kisses inside the court" to Marais.

Du Plessis, who described himself as a "housing innovator" said he was there to protest against the waste of money Marais and Morkel as politicians were responsible for.

Du Plessis has for the past few years been trying to get all three spheres of government to build houses with dagga.

- SAPA