South Africa’s last white president, FW de Klerk has never tutored DA leader Mmusi Maimane, he said in a strongly-worded statement on Friday.

“There is no truth in the rumours that I am ‘tutoring Mmusi Maimane’. He has never been to my home and never sought my advice ‘on speeches and leadership and acting presidential’,” De Klerk said in a statement issued by his foundation.

De Klerk said he only met Maimane once at his office in March 2015, “when he paid me a courtesy visit”.

He was reacting to a Mail & Guardian story published on Friday, quoting “DA insiders” as saying Maimane had been to De Klerk’s house a few times for advice on “speeches and leadership”.

The story does not carry reaction from either the Democratic Alliance or the FW de Klerk Foundation, with the weekly saying Maimane would not answer its questions, and De Klerk was not available to comment.

The report also refers to the FW de Klerk’s Foundation’s complaints to the SA Human Rights Commission on racist tweets.

De Klerk said the Mail & Guardian misquoted him.

“It is also untrue that I at any stage said ‘that black people are more racist than white people’. The report which appeared to this effect was untrue and the FW de Klerk Foundation is taking steps to correct this.”

Earlier on Friday, Maimane told News24 the report was an “outrageous lie”. NEWS24