Former South African president Zuma loses bruising court battle
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Former South African President Jacob Zuma has lost a bruising court battle.
The KwaZulu-Natal High Court on Friday interdicted Zuma from publishing any statement in the future that "says or implies" that senior African National Congress leader Derek Hanekom was an enemy agent or an apartheid spy.
As previously reported by PANA, Hannekom who served as a Cabinet Minister under Zuma, sued his former boss for US$38,000 claiming that the accusations made on Zuma’s official Twitter account had caused “immense harm and damage” to his reputation.
Zuma’s made the allegation after appearing at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in July where he also accused other senior politicians of being spies.
Judge Dhaya Pillay ruled that Zuma's publication of the tweet was unlawful.
"The respondent is ordered to remove the tweet within 24 hours from all media platforms including by deleting it in from his Twitter account," Pillay ordered.
Zuma was also ordered to immediately publish on his Twitter account an apology to Hanekom for referring to him as “an enemy agent”.
Hanekom was also awarded cost damages against Zuma but Pillay said the amount will be decided at a later late. Zuma was also ordered to pay the applicant's hefty legal fees.
In 1980, Hanekom and his wife Patricia joined the ANC and fed sensitive information to the liberation movement.
He was arrested in 1983 and charged with high treason. The charge was subsequently reduced due to the international sensitivity of the case. He served three years in prison.
Zuma has faced significant legal challenges before, during and after his presidency. He was charged with rape in 2005, but was acquitted. He has fought a long legal battle over allegations of racketeering and corruption and is expected to stand trial in the near future.
-0- PANA CU/MA 6Sept2019
