Former Nelson Mandela Bay ANC councillor Lawrence Troon has apologised to Mayor Athol Trollip and unconditionally withdrawn defamatory allegations of racism, cruelty and exploitation he made against him.
Trollip immediately withdrew his R5-million defamation claim against Troon after the apology.
Both the public apology and the withdrawal of the claim were made an order of the Grahamstown High Court yesterday.
Trollip wept at a press conference afterwards, saying the untrue allegations that he was racist and had been cruel and exploitative to farm workers at his family’s former Mount Prospect Farm outside Bedford had hit him where it hurt most – his integrity and hard-earned reputation.
Troon, however, later said he had agreed to the settlement because he was “completely constrained with funding”.
“I just made it to pay my two advocates and I’ve survived on the good will of the people.
“Last year, the same offer was on the table and I said ‘no’ because I thought the ANC would assist me,” he said.
“I thought it’s a winnable case; I still think it’s a winnable case.”
Troon said he had no qualms about apologising as the statements of abuse had been made by farm workers and not himself.
“My role in the whole thing was that I wrote a cover letter to the Daily Dispatch and attached it with the affidavits. I brought it to the attention of the media.”
Asked if he had gone to Bedford to find former farm workers with the hope of getting them to
tarnish Trollip’s reputation, he said he had been approached by a woman from Bedford.
“I went to Bedford and then I came across this when I was there. Those were statements made by farm workers, not me,” Troon said.
He was adamant that “justice” was dependent on how much money a person had.
“It’s clear to me that people who don’t have an income will never be able to get justice.
“It’s only because of my financial constraints that I apologised,” Troon, who is now unemployed, said.
Conceding that he was one of the people involved in a campaign to try to discredit Trollip in the run-up to the 2016 local government elections, Troon said he felt the ANC had hung him out to dry and left him to defend the court case by himself.
“I hope the ANC will be there to support Knight Mali [whom Trollip is also suing for defamation over a social media post] when his case comes up in August,” he said.
Asked if he had personally apologised to Trollip, Troon said he had not and that they had not spoken or greeted each other.
“I’m relieved it’s over because for someone that is unemployed, it works on you to think where will your next rand come from to pay the lawyers. To those who funded me, I’m very grateful.”
The court ruled that both parties would cover their own costs.His apology:
Lawrence Troon, the man who once vowed he would never apologise to Athol Trollip, yesterday placed his pride in his pocket, issuing the following statement: “I, Lawrence Troon, hereby unconditionally apologise to Athol Trollip, the DA mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
“I unconditionally withdraw the publication of the allegations of gross human rights abuses, racism, cruelty, exploitation, violence, land dispossession, abandonment, levelled against Athol Trollip, which were published pursuant to me being provided eight statements that were made by former workers of Mr Trollip.
“I further agree that this apology may be published to whomsoever Mr Trollip chooses to advise.”After the apology was issued by Troon, Trollip spoke emotionally and openly about the pain caused to him and his family.
He became distraught when he spoke of his former farm staff, most of whom he said had become valued friends.
“I can take anything you throw at me in the hurly burly of politics. I have handled more than most, but this hit where it hurt most.”
Clutching a well-thumbed old salary book dating back to the early 1980s, Trollip showed how every financial transaction with every staff member over decades had been recorded, including salaries, overtime pay and the monthly provision of groceries to every family.
It also records severance packages to every staff member when
he sold his farm. Each of them wAS given life usufruct rights to stay on the farm and most were employed by the new owner.
Each staff member also received a provident fund payout.
Trollip sued Troon for some R5-million after he and former renegade DA councillor Mali produced statements they claimed were from several men and women who had once worked on or near Trollip’s farm.
Among other claims, the group said they had been exploited and treated badly by the Trollip family. The allegations surfaced in 2015, more than a decade after Trollip sold the farm.
Trollip said the apology and withdrawal of the allegations was a long overdue vindication of his assertion that it was a political smear campaign orchestrated to harm him politically as well as the DA’s 2016 electoral efforts.
He said the court order was an important precedent establishing that politicians could not besmirch their political opponents and maliciously defame them with impunity.
“I have no interest in being paid any money by Troon. I have always only wanted my reputation and good name to be restored.”
The apology followed hours of negotiations between Troon’s and Trollip’s lawyers.
Troon was accompanied by Nelson Mandela Bay ANC councillor Rory Riordan.
Last year, Troon vowed he would never apologise.He said at the time Trollip’s defamation suit had “unleashed a tiger he will have to ride”.
“He will regret this for the rest of his life.” Trollip is also suing Mali. Trollip’s attorney Brin Brody confirmed no apology had been forthcoming from Mali. “We will see him in court in August.”
Apart from the old salary book, Trollip’s senior counsel, Izak Smuts, arrived at court clutching reams of documentation to refute Mali and Troon’s allegations.
“I am proud of the heritage of care and mutual respect fostered on our family farm,” Trollip said.
He and his wife, Janine, would head straight for Bedford from the court to “have tea with my community”, he said.