Citizen Entrepreneurship Development Agency (CEDA) Brand Ambassador, Orabile Sonny Serite and his company Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd, has demanded P7 million for defamation from activist, Setlhomo Tshwanelang.
According to a letter of demand from Serite’s attorneys Ngakaagae and Company the client demands an unequivocal apology to client and to Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd t/a Safari Compass, on Tshwanelang’s Facebook page, for the false, misleading and injurious statements he made. The text of such apology must be pre-approved by client, the law firm said.
Attorney Kgosietsile Ngakaagae demands payment to client of the sum of P3.5 million in compensation to client in person and payment to client of the sum of P3.5 million in compensation to Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd t/a Safari Compass.
“An unequivocal retraction of the statements and utterances made against client and to Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd t/a Safari Compass on your Facebook page. The text of such retraction must be pre-approved by client,” Ngakaagae said.
The demands are to be met within seven court days of receipt of the correspondence. In the event of his failure to do so we are instructed to proceed to court for legal redress without further reference to you whereof attendant costs shall be to your account and shall be sought at a punitive scale.
“Between the months of October, and November, 2024 you published, in the same social media page, false and misleading statements about client personally and the company of which he is the sole shareholder company Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd (also our client).
“The statements were published with animus injuriandi and were intended to damage his reputation and that of the said company in the eyes of reasonable people,” the letter says.
Tshwanelang is said to have alleged inter alia, that Roco-Mamas Toro (Pty) Ltd, in which Serite is a shareholder, owns the franchise RocoMamas in Francistown and that he has been paid by the
Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (hereinafter "CEDA") to promote his own company: This statement is not true.
“RocoMamas Toro (Pty) Ltd has never applied for CEDA funding and has never received a CEDA loan. The RocoMamas franchise in Francistown is owned by Matish Holdings (Pty) Ltd. Client has never had shareholding in Matish Holdings (Pty) Ltd. Further, client has never been paid by CEDA to promote Roco Mamas Toro (Pty) Ltd. In fact, Roco Mamas Toro (Pty) Ltd has been moribund from date of registration and has never traded.
“Client and his associated companies engage in wholesale corrupt practices. Client has been part of a scheme alongside the CEDA Chief Executive Officer, Thabo Thamane, to loot, and in fact looted, CEDA to the taxpayer's detriment.
“Client personally, and his associated companies have benefitted corruptly from CEDA by obtaining multiple loans whilst failing to service prior loans. Client, personally, is unethical as a business person and a professional. He incorporates companies to use as vehicles for the commission of crimes,” Ngakaagae said.
He explained that as a result of the publications and the afore-stated utterances, client suffered injury to his reputation in the eyes of reasonable people.
"Client has been subjected to intensive and extensive abuse on social media and in public space which abuse subsists to date. Such injury was intended by yourself and client holds you liable for the same," he added.
According to a letter of demand from Serite’s attorneys Ngakaagae and Company the client demands an unequivocal apology to client and to Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd t/a Safari Compass, on Tshwanelang’s Facebook page, for the false, misleading and injurious statements he made. The text of such apology must be pre-approved by client, the law firm said.
Attorney Kgosietsile Ngakaagae demands payment to client of the sum of P3.5 million in compensation to client in person and payment to client of the sum of P3.5 million in compensation to Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd t/a Safari Compass.
“An unequivocal retraction of the statements and utterances made against client and to Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd t/a Safari Compass on your Facebook page. The text of such retraction must be pre-approved by client,” Ngakaagae said.
The demands are to be met within seven court days of receipt of the correspondence. In the event of his failure to do so we are instructed to proceed to court for legal redress without further reference to you whereof attendant costs shall be to your account and shall be sought at a punitive scale.
“Between the months of October, and November, 2024 you published, in the same social media page, false and misleading statements about client personally and the company of which he is the sole shareholder company Elephant Paw (Pty) Ltd (also our client).
“The statements were published with animus injuriandi and were intended to damage his reputation and that of the said company in the eyes of reasonable people,” the letter says.
Tshwanelang is said to have alleged inter alia, that Roco-Mamas Toro (Pty) Ltd, in which Serite is a shareholder, owns the franchise RocoMamas in Francistown and that he has been paid by the
Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (hereinafter "CEDA") to promote his own company: This statement is not true.
“RocoMamas Toro (Pty) Ltd has never applied for CEDA funding and has never received a CEDA loan. The RocoMamas franchise in Francistown is owned by Matish Holdings (Pty) Ltd. Client has never had shareholding in Matish Holdings (Pty) Ltd. Further, client has never been paid by CEDA to promote Roco Mamas Toro (Pty) Ltd. In fact, Roco Mamas Toro (Pty) Ltd has been moribund from date of registration and has never traded.
“Client and his associated companies engage in wholesale corrupt practices. Client has been part of a scheme alongside the CEDA Chief Executive Officer, Thabo Thamane, to loot, and in fact looted, CEDA to the taxpayer's detriment.
“Client personally, and his associated companies have benefitted corruptly from CEDA by obtaining multiple loans whilst failing to service prior loans. Client, personally, is unethical as a business person and a professional. He incorporates companies to use as vehicles for the commission of crimes,” Ngakaagae said.
He explained that as a result of the publications and the afore-stated utterances, client suffered injury to his reputation in the eyes of reasonable people.
"Client has been subjected to intensive and extensive abuse on social media and in public space which abuse subsists to date. Such injury was intended by yourself and client holds you liable for the same," he added.
