Businesswoman Bridgette Motsepe has strongly denied claims that she offered producer Sello “Chicco” Twala millions of rands to halt the production of a film purportedly exposing corrupt ANC leaders. The controversy follows reports by Sunday World that suggested Motsepe had refused to pay Twala more than R3 million she allegedly promised if he abandoned the project titled Worse Than Apartheid.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Motsepe insisted she never promised, agreed to, or undertook to pay any amount to anyone involved in the production, whether to stop it or delete it entirely.
“Allegations to the contrary are false, defamatory, and form part of a co-ordinated attempt to extort money,” the statement read. Bridget von Holdt, speaking on behalf of Motsepe, said the businesswoman had only met Twala to discuss how the film could be presented to business leaders, to highlight the negative economic impact it could have and to explore potential funding for a new, more positive project.
“The ambassador met with producer Chicco Twala solely to discuss whether the film could be adapted to include a hopeful view of 31 years of our democracy and the achievements of our country, rather than just a negative one,” the statement said. “At no stage did the ambassador request that the film be deleted, nor did she agree to pay for its production costs or alleged deletion. This position has been independently corroborated by respected witnesses, who confirmed that ambassador Motsepe never made any promise or commitment of payment.”
According to von Holdt, witnesses including Mrs Casaletti Bwalya, a marketing agency owner, and senior attorney Mr Maurizio Mariano, confirmed that Motsepe’s only request to Twala was that the film be shown and its script presented to business leaders. This, they said, would allow them to understand the economic impact of the project and potentially support the production of a new “message of hope” film celebrating South Africa’s democratic achievements and national unity.
“To this day, despite repeated requests, the ambassador has not received the script. In its absence, business leaders were unable to provide funding, as the script was required for submission to the tax authorities in support of any pledges towards seed capital for the proposed message of hope film,” von Holdt added.
Sunday World previously reported that Twala had already invested millions of rands in producing Worse Than Apartheid and was close to securing a contract with a top TV channel to air the movie. The publication also claimed to possess text messages suggesting Motsepe and senior ANC officials had agreed to reimburse actors and executive producers involved in the project.
Motsepe has vehemently rejected the allegations and said she intends to take legal action.
“The ambassador will be taking legal action relating to these deliberate falsehoods and defamatory claims, which are designed to coerce payment under false pretences,” the statement said. “Ambassador Motsepe will not, and will never, support or contribute in any way – financially or otherwise – to any film or series based on Worse Than Apartheid, if it even exists, or to any project that promotes or references unfounded allegations of genocide, or that denies apartheid was a crime against humanity.”
Motsepe, a respected business figure and ambassador, also stressed her pride in South Africa’s democracy and rejected any attempts to distort the country’s reality.
“As a proud citizen of South Africa, she – like the vast majority of South Africans – deplores the concept of the Worse Than Apartheid film and any similar attempts to undermine our 31-year democracy, which has worked tirelessly to remove the symbols of apartheid,” von Holdt said.
The dispute has highlighted the tense intersection of business, politics, and media in South Africa. While Sunday World presented claims of pressure from ANC leaders to stop the film ahead of last year’s national elections, Motsepe maintains that she acted only in her capacity as a concerned businesswoman seeking to highlight potential economic consequences.
The ongoing legal developments are expected to clarify Motsepe’s role in the matter and determine whether any contractual or financial obligations were ever made. In the meantime, she remains firm in defending her reputation against what she calls “co-ordinated attempts to extort money” and “defamatory claims” designed to tarnish her name.
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