The Editor
The Sporting Post
Attention: Mr K Miedema
Per email : [email protected]
Dear Sirs
MR S. STURLESE RE : LETTER PUBLISHED IN THE SPORTING POST
We represent Mr S. Sturlese.
Our instructions are that on or about 18 November 2010 you published a letter written by Mr Hassen Adams entitled “Is GC the New KKK” [“the letter”]. The letter continues to be published on the website of the Sporting News.
The letter is defamatory of Mr Sturlese and constitutes hate speech.
Mr Sturlese is a member of a group of concerned KwaZulu-Natal members of Gold Circle [“the concerned group”] who, on or about 7 November 2010, sent a letter to the members of Gold Circle requesting that a General Meeting of the members of Gold Circle be called to discuss THE members concerns relating to, inter alia, the financial management of Gold Circle.
In the letter Mr Addams refers to the concerned group as “a lynching mob” and to our client as “the leader of lynching mob [sic] (who is white)” and asks “whether the new lynching mob manifesto is going to be that of the Ku Klux Klan”.
The Ku Klux Klan, also known as the KKK, advocates white supremacy and is widely considered to be a hate group.
Mr Addams further alleges that he was unconstitutionally and irregularly removed as the chairman of Gold Circle prior to taking office and claims that his removal “could only be attributed to racial bias”.
To liken the concerned group to a lynching mob and the Ku Klux Klan, to refer to our client as the leader of a lynching mob, and to imply that our client and the concerned group are motivated by racism, is defamatory and constitutes hate speech.
The allegation that the concerned group, of which our client is a member, is motivated by racism is without merit.
Our client is concerned that the letter was written with the intention to be hurtful and to propagate hatred.
Mr Sturlese has instructed us to require you to forthwith remove the letter from your website and to publish an apology in the Sporting Post.
Please acknowledge receipt of this letter and confirm whether or not you are prepared to remove the letter and to publish and apology.
Our client’s rights are reserved.
Yours faithfully
D M WOOD
GARLICKE & BOUSFIELD INC.
TEL: (031) 570 5565
EMAIL: [email protected]
[THIS LETTER HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED ELECTRONICALLY WITHOUT SIGNATURE]
