By Wendell Roelf
The Cape High Court on Tuesday heard the stuff soap operas are made of - allegations of corruption, sexual harassment, government maladministration and even a ménage à trois.
The man who held court, former Western Cape premier and Cape Town mayor Peter Marais, testified on these allegations during a defamation case brought against himself and Gerald Morkel by former MEC Freda Adams. Marais also faces a sexual harassment charge.
Marais has launched a counter-claim of defamation against Adams.
"I would be the most stupid politician south of the Sahara if I had to 'kavoevel' (with) the minister (Adams) in the office of the premier (Morkel), and I am not stupid otherwise I wouldn't have survived so long in politics," said Marais during his evidence-in-chief.
Led by his counsel Anwar Albertus, Marais repeatedly and vehemently denied any wrongdoing on his part, in respect of the sexual harassment allegations and corruption charges levelled against him by Adams.
Taking each sexual harassment allegation at a time, Marais said at various times that he considered himself "a gentleman who had good manners" and who would never have even contemplated sleeping with Adams, who he described "as incognito".
About the threesome (or ménage à trois) Adams suggested former MEC Cecil Herandien had intimated she, Marais and himself should have, Marais said he never spoke to Herandien about this.
"It is too ghastly to contemplate. I can't imagine me with Herandien together with the plaintiff. I don't have such an imagination," said Marais.
Asked about the effect the specific impact the allegations of corruption and maladministration had on his family life, Marais said that he felt "bitter".
"It was a time for introspection and I didn't know if I should walk away from politics... It affected my children and my wife was in tears sometimes."
Marais said when he accompanied his wife on shopping outings, people would pass remarks and even come up to them, which led him to decide to do the shopping alone, because "I am thick-skinned and wanted to save her".
Marais said the allegations of corruption and maladministration contained in an affidavit from Adams to the Public Protector was an attempt to destroy his "good name".
"I have never been accused of nepotism, maladministration and corruption in my political life... and to accuse me of something like this, I felt hurt and bitter".
Marais said he first learnt of the allegations submitted to the Public Protector from media reports in the run-up to the mayoral election in 2000 local government campaign.
Taking the stand Marais described his 32 years in politics, from the formative years as a student activist to becoming the chairman of the Nooitgedacht Tenants Association in 1972.
He said since 1972, he had served on the economic advisory council to former prime minister PW Botha, he had formed part of the National Party's delegation to the Codesa talks under FW de Klerk in 1992 and served in various Western Cape ministerial positions.
His wife of 38 years, Bonita, cut a stoic figure in the court during the day's proceedings.
Earlier in the day, the court delved into the supernatural when it heard testimony of an apparition seen on Adams' bedroom wall.
Lay preacher and a former mayor of Macassar, Sidney September Kuhn, 76, told the court he had been invited by Adams to see an apparition.
"It was a new home... I saw a picture that moved. It was a picture of a lady built like Adams who walked up the hill. It was a recurring picture," said Kuhn who was led by Marais' counsel Anwar Albertus.
Kuhn said he did not stay long and could not give an explanation for the picture, because there was "no window or hole in the wall where the picture could be projected through".
According to Kuhn, he and Adams discussed what the picture meant and concluded that the apparition "depicted her political career going to the crest".
Cross-examined by Fiona Gordon-Turner for Adams, Kuhn admitted the picture was open to subjective interpretation.
"I only saw it once... around about 7pm, when it was getting dark."
According to Kuhn he accepted the invitation to see the apparition because he considered Adams a friend and he wanted to "reassure" her. - Sapa