Case Law[2024] ZAGPPHC 48South Africa
Native Child Africa (Pty) Ltd v Akinwale and Another (125850/2023) [2024] ZAGPPHC 48 (10 January 2024)
High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)
10 January 2024
Headnotes
“it is not only the object of punishing a respondent to compel him or her to obey an order that renders contempt proceedings urgent: the public interest in the administration of justice and the vindication of the Constitution also render the ongoing failure or refusal to obey an
Judgment
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# South Africa: North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria
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## Native Child Africa (Pty) Ltd v Akinwale and Another (125850/2023) [2024] ZAGPPHC 48 (10 January 2024)
Native Child Africa (Pty) Ltd v Akinwale and Another (125850/2023) [2024] ZAGPPHC 48 (10 January 2024)
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sino date 10 January 2024
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FLYNOTES:
CIVIL LAW – Defamation –
Contempt
–
Respondent
was ordered to desist from actions infringing on reputation and
good-will of applicant on social media –
Alleges respondent
continued to act contrary to order and as such contempt is
continuous – Requirements restated –
Standard of proof
– Respondent’s non-compliance in posting both first
and second posts was wilful and mala fide
beyond a reasonable
doubt – Respondent found in contempt of court.
IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
(GAUTENG
DIVISION, PRETORIA)
CASE
NO: 125850/2023
(1)
REPORTABLE: NO
(2)
OF INTEREST TO OTHERS JUDGES: NO
(3)
REVISED: NO
DATE
SIGNATURE
In
the matter between:
NATIVE
CHILD AFRICA (PTY) LTD
APPLICANT
and
MARY
OLUWATOBILOBA AKINWALE
FIRST RESPONDENT
LUTENDO
SIPHUMA
SECOND RESPONDENT
JUDGMENT
K
STRYDOM AJ
INTRODUCTION
1.
The applicant, a South African hair product
company, on an urgent basis, applies for a declaration that the First
Respondent, a
so-called ‘influencer’ and the Second
Respondent, her attorney, are in contempt of Court.
2.
The
applicant had previously employed the first respondent to market its
products on various social platforms. A dispute arose regarding
payment and the first respondent turned to the social media platforms
to vent her opinions regarding the applicant. In doing so,
however,
“…
instead
of promoting the brand — she started trashing the applicant's
reputation and goodwill
.”
[1]
3.
This necessitated the applicant to approach the
Court on urgent basis to obtain interdictory relief against the first
respondent.
4.
The Court was in agreement with the contentions of
the applicant and, on the 11
th
of December 2023, Khwinana AJ made the following
order (“the Khwinana order”):
“
1.
That
the respondent is interdicted and restrained from publishing any
defamatory
statements,
posts, memes, comments, video clips or sound clips to or on any
platform (including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly
known as
Twitter) and WhatsApp) referring to the Applicant or encouraging her
social media followers to do so;
2.
That the respondent is interdicted and restrained
from publishing, any statements, posts, memes, comments, video clips
or sound
clips (including Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly
known as twitter) and WhatsApp) on any platform which, directly or
indirectly,
invites, entices or calls on the public to
boycott
the applicant's business or products;
3
.
That the respondent is ordered to
remove
all defamatory statements, posts, memes, comments,
video clips or sound clips, on any platform (including Tik Tok,
Instagram, Facebook,
X(formerly known as Twitter) and Whatsapp) made
by the respondent against the Applicant commencing on or before 17
November 2023;
4
.
That the respondent is ordered to post a video and written
retracting and/or apology
of
and/or for any defamatory statements, posts, memes comments, video
clips, or sound clips that the respondent made against the
applicant
on any platform (including Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly
known as Twitter) and WhatsApp), which retraction
and/or apology
posts should remain published for a period of not less than 60
(sixty) calendar days;
5. That the orders
in paragraph 2 above shall operate as an interim interdict pending
the institution of action proceedings
by the applicant against the
respondent within 60 (sixty) calendar days from the date of the
order;
6. That the
respondent is to pay the costs of this application, on a scale
between attorney and client.”
[Emphasis my own]
5.
The Khinwana order therefore provided for four
different sets of relief, which, for ease of reference, I will refer
to as (1) “the
defamation interdict”, (2) “the
interim boycott interdict”, (3) “the removal order”,
and (4) “the
retraction/apology order”.
6.
Eight days later, on the 19
th
of December 2023, the Applicant was back in the
urgent court alleging that the first and second respondents were in
contempt of
the Khinwana order.
7.
If the
Respondents are found to be in contempt, the applicant seeks a rule
nisi
calling
upon the respondents to show cause, on the 30 January 2024 at 10h00
as to why a final order for the committal of the first
respondent to
30 days in prison and a recordal of criminal guilt against the second
respondent, should not be made.
[2]
URGENCY
8.
It is trite that application for declaration of
contempt of Court and not urgent
per se
.
Despite being generally regarded as urgent, due to the need to
vindicate the authority of the Court itself, each case must be
assessed on its own merits.
9.
As a general proposition, however, contempt
proceedings would be regarded as urgent if the contempt is of an
ongoing nature.
10.
In
Victoria
Park Ratepayers’ Association v Greyvenouw (“Victoria
Park”)
it
was held that
“
it
is not only the object of punishing a respondent to compel him or her
to obey an order that renders contempt proceedings urgent:
the public
interest in the administration of justice and the vindication of the
Constitution also render the ongoing failure or
refusal to obey an
order a matter of urgency. This, in my view, is the starting
point: all matters in which an ongoing contempt
of an order is
brought to the attention of a court must be dealt with as
expeditiously as the circumstances, and the dictates of
fairness,
allow.”
[3]
11.
Similarly,
in
Protea
Holdings
Limited
v Wriwt
,
the Court said that “
if
there was no continuing contempt of court . . . then the hearing of
this application as a matter of urgency in the Court vacation
would
not be justified
”
[4]
It further held that:
“
the
element of urgency would be satisfied if in fact it was shown that
[the] respondents were continuing to disregard the order
. . . .
If this be so, the applicant is entitled, as a matter of urgency, to
attempt to get the respondents to desist by
the penalty referred to
being imposed
.”
[5]
12.
Having already found that the matter, insofar as
the first respondent is concerned, is urgent, I do not intend to
belabour this
judgment with comprehensive reasoning for my decision.
The crisp point is this: in
casu,
the
first respondent was ordered to desist from actions infringing on the
reputation and good-will of the applicant. The first respondent
(according to the applicant) has continued to act contrary to the
order and as such her contempt is continuous. Furthermore, should
this contempt of court application not be heard on an urgent basis,
the entire purpose (to avoid further reputational harm) of
the
Khinwana order would be defeated. The launching of the contempt
application itself also serves to deter the first respondent
from
continuing her disregard of the Khinwana order.
13.
With regards to the second Respondent, the
applicant sought a declaration “…
that
Mr Lutendo Siphuma is guilty of the crime of contempt of court for
stating that Ms Mary Oluwatobiloba Akinwale need not comply
with the
order made by this Court…”
14.
The applicant alleges that soon after the Khinwana
order was granted, the second respondent made certain utterances to
the applicant’s
attorney to the effect that, in his view, as
the first respondent had deleted the impugned messages and had
uploaded a retraction
to the relevant social media platform, the
first respondent did not need to comply with the whole order. The
applicant alleges
that he “
ostensibly
conveyed his contemptuous attitude to the Order to the Second
Respondent.
”
15.
Firstly, there is no Court order directed at the
second respondent for him to be in contempt of. Secondly, there were
no allegations
that his conduct was continuing and would result in
imminent harm to the applicant. Should the applicant have a claim
against him,
there is no reason to believe that it would not obtain
substantial redress in the ordinary course.
16.
As such, on the day of the hearing, I
ordered that, insofar as the second respondent is concerned, the
matter was struck from the
roll due to lack of urgency, with costs to
be reserved.
17.
As the second respondent is not involved in any
further findings in terms of this judgment, any further references to
‘respondent
“, should be understood to refer to the first
respondent only.
RESPONDENT’S
POINTS
IN LIMINE
18.
The respondent raised two additional preliminary
points
in limine
;
namely non-joinder and incompetence of relief sought.
19.
In the
first place, she indicates that the Station Commander and/or the
SAPS, as well as the “Minister of Correctional services”
[6]
have direct and substantial interests in the outcome of the matter
and should therefore have been joined.
20.
In terms of the notice of motion, pursuant to a
declaration of contempt and upon the return date of the rule
nisi,
the Station Commander and/or the SAPS are (in
terms of the rule nisi portion) may be ordered to record the finding
of guilt of contempt
on her criminal record and to deliver her to a
correctional center to serve her period of imprisonment. She
further argues
that the Minister has interest by virtue of the fact
that the sanction sought is imprisonment.
21.
In
The Judicial
Service Commission v The Cape Bar Council (Centre for Constitutional
Rights as amicus curiae)
, the test for
non-joinder was described as follows:
“
[12]
It has by now become settled law that the joinder of a party is only
required as a matter of necessity – as opposed to
a matter of
convenience – if that party has a direct and substantial
interest which may be affected prejudicially by the
judgment of the
court in the proceedings concerned. The mere fact that a party may
have an interest in the outcome of the litigation
does not warrant a
non-joinder plea. The right of a party to validly raise the objection
that other parties should have been joined
to the proceedings, has
thus been held to be a limited one.”
[In-line
references omitted]
22.
I fail to see how the rights of either the Station
Commander, the SAPS or the Minister could be prejudiced by a court
making an
order to the effect that they the nominal capacities
perform the functions necessary flow from such an order. The
respondent has
also failed to make any averments indicating the
prejudicial effect of the order save for a bold averment of interest
and prejudice.
23.
The point
in limine
regarding non-joinder was therefore dismissed.
24.
She secondly alleges that, as the applicant seeks
her committal to a prison, it was incompetent to bring the
application in civil
court. She alleges that criminal proceedings
should have been instituted and that the relief sought is therefore
incompetent.
25.
The
majority of the Constitutional Court, in the Zuma contempt case
[7]
,
at length explained why an order for direct imprisonment can be
competently granted in civil contempt proceedings.
26.
I am aware that the minority vociferously argued
that given the criminal nature of the sanction, the matter should be
referred to
the National Prosecuting Authority for prosecution in
accordance with criminal procedures and the relevant criminal
safeguards
afforded to accused persons in terms of Section 35(3) of
the Constitution. However, the finding of the majority is binding.
27.
The point
in limine
,
regarding the incompetence of the relief sought, is therefore also
dismissed.
CONTEMPT OF COURT
General principles
28.
In
Snowy Owl Properties 284 (Pty) Ltd v Celliers and Another
[8]
the
Supreme Court of Appeal (“SCA”) restated the trite
principle that an applicant alleging contempt of court must establish
that:
“
(a)
an order was granted against the alleged contemnor;
(b)
the alleged contemnor was served with the order or had knowledge of
it; and
(c)
the alleged contemnor failed to comply with the order.
Once
these elements are established, willfulness and mala
fides are presumed and the respondent bears an evidentiary
burden…….
Should the respondent fail to discharge this burden, contempt will
have been established.”
[9]
29.
Both the applicant and the respondent in contempt
applications therefore have a burden of proof. In
casu
,
it is not in dispute that the applicant has proven, beyond reasonable
doubt, that the order was served and had come to the attention
of the
respondent. The applicant must therefore prove each alleged instance
of non-compliance with the Khinwana order. For each
instance of
non-compliance so proven, the respondent must then establish that the
non-compliance was not willful and mala fide.
30.
The aforementioned requirements are relatively
straightforward, however, the determination of the standard of the
burden of proof,
it is not.
The standard of the
burden of proof
31.
In
Matjhabeng
Local
Municipality v Eskom Holdings Ltd and Others
[10]
the
Constitutional Court determined the standard of proof with reference
to the committal and coercive remedies of contempt orders:
“
[67]
‘. . . [O]n a reading of Fakie, Pheko II, and Burchell, I am of
the view that the standard of proof must be applied in
accordance
with the purpose sought to be achieved, differently put, the
consequences of the various remedies. As I understand it,
the
maintenance of a distinction does have a practical significance: the
civil contempt remedies of committal or a fine have material
consequences on an individual’s freedom and security of the
person. However, it is necessary in some instances because disregard
of a court order not only deprives the other party of the benefit of
the order but also impairs the effective administration of
justice.
There, the criminal standard of proof – beyond reasonable doubt
– applies always. A fitting example of this
is Fakie. On the
other hand, there are civil contempt remedies – for example,
declaratory relief, mandamus, or a structural
interdict – that
do not have the consequence of depriving an individual of their right
to freedom and security of the person.
A fitting example of this is
Burchell. Here, and I stress, the civil standard of proof – a
balance of probabilities –
applies.’
32.
It is therefore clear that, depending on the
sanction, the standard of proof could be either on a balance of
probabilities or beyond
a reasonable doubt.
33.
The first question for determination of therefore
whether the applicant has proven that the respondent has failed to
comply with
the order. As to this requirement the onus is on the
applicant to prove such non-compliance for each of the alleged
instances of
non-compliance. It should be borne in mind that the
Khinwana order in fact contains four different orders that the
respondent had
to comply with. Any determination then for purposes of
contempt requires an evaluation of contempt vis-à-vis each of
the
four orders individually.
34.
This is not to say that, just because the four
orders are contained in a single judgement, that contempt of all of
them collectively
needs to be established to succeed with this
application. It is entirely feasible that the respondent may have
been guilty of non-compliance
with only certain of the orders.
35.
For purposes of this first enquiry regard must be
had to the burden of proof resting on the applicant in establishing
non-compliance.
Generally, as per
Matjhabeng
,
the burden of proof is gleaned from the nature of the sanction
sought. In other words, if the sanction relates to civil remedies,
such as for instance a structured interdict, the burden of proof
would be on a balance of probabilities. However, where the sanction
is a criminal one the burden of proof would be beyond a reasonable
doubt.
36.
However, given the nature of contempt proceedings,
a strict reference to the sanction, as framed by the applicant, does
not assist
the court. In view of the fact that contempt is not just
directed at the party applying for such an order but also at
vindicating
the authority of the Court, a Court has a wide
discretion.
37.
In
Pheko
v Ekurhuleni City
[11]
the Constitutional Court, in 2015, held that:
[37] However,
where a court finds a recalcitrant litigant to be possessed of malice
on balance, civil contempt remedies other
than committal may still be
employed. These include any remedy that would ensure compliance
such as declaratory relief, a
mandamus demanding the contemnor to
behave in a particular manner, a fine, and any further order
that would have the effect
of coercing compliance.”
38.
The majority in Zuma described the extent of
this discretion as follows:
“
[
86]
…..However, it is trite that this Court enjoys wide
discretionary powers, and that we are enjoined by the Constitution
to
grant appropriate remedies that are just and equitable….
[110]
In any event, whether or not a litigant is entitled to approach a
court seeking punitive relief has
absolutely nothing to do with a
court’s competence to grant it. Indeed, Pheko II unequivocally
held that a court can raise
contempt mero motu (of its own accord).
In this context then, the process followed by the applicant says
nothing about this
Court’s competence to make a purely punitive
order of committal.
In other words, nothing, including the
process instituted by the applicant, could prevent this Court from
determining the matter
by exercising our right to raise the
proceedings of our own volition
.
[111]
It is further trite that courts must make orders that are just
and equitable in the circumstances.
This means that even if it
is not appropriate for an applicant to seek certain relief, this
Court cannot be bound by what is sought
by the applicant if granting
an order beyond those limitations is what justice demands
.”
[Underlining my own]
39.
In view of this wide discretion and inherent duty
of the court to ensure that the demands of justice are met, the mere
fact that
an applicant seeks a criminal sanction does not prohibit a
court from imposing a civil sanction. Concomitantly, where
contempt
has not been proven beyond reasonable doubt, a civil
sanction can still be imposed if it was proven on a balance of
probabilities.
40.
The burden of proof, therefore, should be
determined in view of the sanction the court imposes, not the
sanction the applicant seeks.
41.
The effect of this wide discretion, in the present
matter, on a practical level, is that for each of the instances of
non-compliance,
assessments must be done on whether the applicant has
discharged its onus beyond reasonable doubt, as well as whether, in
the alternative,
the onus was discharged on a balance of
probabilities. Once so proven, the burden falls to the respondent to
either create reasonable
doubt or rebut on a balance of probability
the presumption of her wilfulness and
mala
fides
of each of these instances of
non-compliance.
The inextricable
nature of contempt and sanction
42.
In the present instance applicant has “separated”
the contempt declaration and the question of sanction, as one would
separate conviction and sentencing in a criminal trial. During the
hearing, after being queried on the nature of proceedings on
the
return date, counsel for the applicant, for instance, argued that the
respondent would then be able to make submissions in
“mitigation”
of the criminal sanctions imposed as per the rule nisi.
43.
While it can be appreciated that the present
application was structured so as such to afford the respondent rights
akin to those
afforded to accused in criminal trials, it misconstrues
the nature and effect of a rule
nisi
and
the that of contempt proceedings.
44.
In
Safcor
Forwarding (Johannesburg) (Pty) Ltd v National Transport
[12]
Corbet JA stated:
“…
..
The
procedure of a rule nisi is usually restored to in matters of urgency
and where the applicant seeks interim relief in order
adequately to
protect his immediate interests. It is a useful procedure and one to
be encouraged rather than disparaged in circumstances
where the
applicant can show,
prima
facie, that his rights have been infringed
and that
he will suffer real loss or disadvantage if he is compelled to rely
solely on the normal procedures for bringing disputes
to Court by way
of notice of motion or summons….. In fact, the rule nisi
procedure does……., in a proper case
,
permit of the granting of interim
relief
.”
[Underlining my own]
45.
In
Member
of the Executive Council for the Department of Health, Eastern Cape v
BM
,
[13]
the Supreme Court of Appeal (“the SCA”) explained the
rationale for using the rule
nisi
procedure
in urgent applications:
“
[12]….Its
use and development is underpinned by the principle that a court will
not grant relief which impacts or constrains
the rights and interests
of a party without affording that party an opportunity to be heard
(audi alteram partem). It is also premised
on the acceptance that the
interests of justice require the balancing of rights and interests to
ensure that what is worthy of
immediate protection is not prejudiced
by the time it takes to hear all interested parties.”
46.
In
Victoria Park
,
the Court further held that:
[7] There is authority
for the proposition that, in contempt of court cases, the party
alleged to be in contempt because he or she
has failed or refused to
obey an order is
not automatically
entitled to
be heard while he
or she remains
in default. While courts will obviously be
loath to refuse to hear a party’s defence, and it will only be
in the most exceptional
of cases that a party may be barred in this
way from defending himself or herself, the rule nisi procedure allows
the court to
regulate the respondent’s access to court, set the
bounds of the dispute in the rule so that the respondent is in no
doubt
as to the case he or she must meet, and set the procedural
rules for the further conduct of the matter.
47.
I would note a further reason for deeming the use
of the rule nisi procedure sensible in urgent applications. An
applicant, having
to act urgently with limited timeframes, does not
have the luxury of properly formulating, substantiating or drafting
its application
as it would have had in the normal course. There is
simply no time and the applicant must approach the court with the
best case
it can present before the harm it foresees occurs. When
using the rule nisi procedure, a Court evaluating the applicant’s
case, only needs to find that the applicant has a prima facie case.
The granting of the rule nisi affords the applicant the breathing
space to present its case for final relief on the return date.
48.
The present application, however, seeks a final
finding on the contempt of the Respondent, but a prima facie finding
on the sanction.
49.
However, in contempt proceedings the burden of
proof in declaring a person in contempt and the sanction to be
imposed are inextricably
intertwined.
50.
In the
Zuma contempt
case
, for instance, the Constitutional
Court, in an urgent application, the Constitutional Court,
appreciated that, for a Court
to make a final finding on contempt it
would have had to consider the possible sanction the finding should
attract. Having
determined that the finding of contempt in that
case would necessitate a sanction of direct imprisonment, it
nevertheless did not
find that Mr Zuma was in contempt before
affording him an opportunity to address the Court in mitigation of
such a sanction.
“
[63]
Since all of this led this Court in the direction of an unsuspended
order of committal, this Court was alive to the need to
consider, and
indeed safeguard, Mr Zuma’s constitutional right to freedom.
Accordingly, we issued directions on 9 April 2021,
in which we
invited Mr Zuma to file an affidavit on an appropriate sanction and
sentence
in
the event that
he
is found to be in contempt of this Court’s order.”
[Underlining
my own]
51.
These directions, contained in the footnotes to
this paragraph, where:
“
The
first respondent is directed to file an affidavit of no longer than
15 pages on or before Wednesday, 14 April 2021 on the following
issues:
a) In the event that
the first respondent is found to be guilty of the alleged contempt of
court, what constitutes the appropriate
sanction; and
b) In the event that
this Court deems committal to be appropriate, the nature and
magnitude of sentence that should be imposed,
supported by reasons.”
52.
For present purposes it is important to note that
the constitutional court did not first find Mr. Zuma in contempt and
then considered
the sanction, it considered both simultaneously. An
example, loosely based on the facts in the
Zuma
contempt case,
is illustrative of the
profound effect the sanction has on the declaration of contempt
itself:
52.1.
Mr Z refuses to appear before a board of inquiry
as a witness, despite being ordered to do so by Court.
52.2.
In the subsequent contempt proceedings, the Court
could impose either a civil sanction (such as mandamus) or a criminal
sanction
(such as a fine or imprisonment).
52.3.
If a criminal sanction is to be imposed, the court
must, in evaluating the acts of non-compliance, determine whether
such non-compliance
was willful and mala fide, beyond a reasonable
doubt.
52.4.
However, if a civil sanction is to be opposed,
court in its evaluation only needs to determine whether the
noncompliance was willful
and mala fide, on a balance of
probabilities.
52.5.
The sanction is therefore determinative of the
standard of proof the court will apply in the evaluation of the
contempt itself.
53.
The
aforementioned should not be interpreted to mean that as Court having
found contempt beyond reasonable doubt must impose a criminal
sanction. The Court has a wide discretion in determining the
sanction. Invariably however the sanction should be imposed “….
in
order to vindicate the Court’s honour consequent upon the
disregard of its order . . . and to compel the performance
thereof
”
.
[14]
54.
Sanctions
are therefore not primarily aimed at punishing the contemnor. As
stated by the SCA in Meadow Glen: “…
[a]lthough
some punitive element is involved, the main objectives of contempt
proceedings are to vindicate the authority of court
and coerce
litigants into complying with court orders It is indeed the accepted
practice in contempt matters to seek compliance,
using punishment as
a means of coercing same
.
[15]
55.
A court should be aware of the exact impact the
order it makes would have on a party. This is an obvious proposition
for all cases
a Court is called to decide upon. However, given the
inextricable nature as described above and the possible dire
consequences
unique to contempt proceedings, this awareness should be
at the forefront of the Court’s mind at every step of the
decision
making process.
Zuma
strikes again
56.
Whilst the (initial) judgment in this matter was
largely finalised, the declaration by the IEC, on the 17
th
of January 2024, that Mr Zuma cannot become
president after this year’s general election, necessitated a
reconsideration of
the findings in the initial judgment as. Mr. Zuma
cannot become president because he has a criminal record. He has a
criminal record
by virtue of the order made in the
Zuma
contempt case
:
“
3.
It is declared that Mr Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is guilty of the
crime of contempt of court for failure to comply with
the order made
by this Court in Secretary of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into
Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and
Fraud in the Public
Sector including Organs of State v Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma
[2021]
ZACC 2.
4. Mr
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is sentenced to undergo 15 months’
imprisonment.”
57.
The wording of the order used by the
Constitutional Court leaves no doubt that the Constitutional Court
sentenced Mr. Zuma as a
criminal and therefore implicitly appreciated
that the result of the finding would be inter alia that he would have
a criminal
record.
58.
However, as conceded by the majority, the
Zuma
contempt case
was exceptional. The High
Courts (or at least the two Gauteng divisions) grant contempt
applications on an almost daily basis. Those
orders rarely
specifically address the criminality of contempt and usually worded
along the lines of: “
Mr X is
guilty of contempt of court
”
or
“
Mr X is declared to be in
contempt of Court.
”
59.
The
sanctions in those orders also vary between civil and criminal
sanctions. Where criminal sanctions are imposed, those sanctions
have
always been suspended, conditional on the contemnor complying with
the Court order.
[16]
In some
instances, a declaration that the contemnor is in contempt is made
without a sanction being imposed at all.
60.
The disconcerting question that arose in my mind
was whether all persons found to be in contempt of court, regardless
of sanction,
are guilty of a criminal offence and therefore have a
criminal record. An evaluation of the common law and caselaw,
consistently
confirmed that, at common law, contempt of court is
defined as a criminal offence. In terms of the present matter, the
effect hereof
is that, for instance, even if I only find that the
Respondent is in contempt of court on a balance of probabilities, she
would
still be “guilty” of a criminal offence. I discuss
the exact legal position and contentions that form the basis for
the
possible development of the common law in the “
Problem
statement and Directions
”
at the
end of this judgment.
61.
Given that, as already indicated supra, in
determining the Respondent’s, I would have to have regard to
the sanction and effect
of such an order, it is obvious that the
question regarding criminality would have to be determined before
such an order can be
made.
62.
I accordingly convened a meeting with the legal
representatives for both parties to indicate that I foresee a
possible need development
of the common law definition of contempt of
court and indicated that I intend to provide a problem statement and
directions in
this regard.
63.
However, I am mindful of the fact that, at its
heart, the purpose application and that which served before Khinwana
J, was to protect
the rights of the Applicant and to avoid the
imminent (and now ongoing) harm suffered by it due to the actions of
the Respondent.
As such, even though no final determination will be
made regarding the contempt of the Respondent, her acts of
non-compliance will
be assessed to determine whether such
non-compliance was willful and mala fide beyond a reasonable doubt,
alternatively on a balance
of probabilities. In doing so, I intend to
following the approach taken by the Constitutional Court in the
Zuma
contempt
case by issuing further
directions to the Respondent to address the question of sanction.)
The relief granted will also be formulated
to protect the Applicant’s
rights as far as possible.
EVALUATION OF THE
FACTS
Chronology of
events after the Khinwala order was made
64.
On the 11
th
of December 2023 the Respondent made the following
sequence of posts to her handle “@[...]” on Instagram:
64.1.
A post quoting concerned questions from her
followers asking why she had not posted in a while.
64.2.
A picture of herself apologising to her followers
for not posting because she was "
fighting
for her life
" and trying her best
to be strong so that she does not "kill herself due to
depression” “
all because
[she] was trying to make something of herself and put food on the
table
"
64.3.
A picture of the Court room where the Urgent
Application was heard and stating that she had been in Court
"
fighting for her life so that she
does not end up in jail for standing up for herself
",
64.4.
A video retracting her defamatory statements
against the Applicant.
64.5.
A written retraction in an Instagram story
65.
On the 12
th
of December 2023, the Applicant posted a
media statement to its Instagram account noting that they were
successful in their
application before Khinwana AJ and reiterating
the terms of the order granted.
66.
The following morning, the 13
th
of December 2023, the applicant became aware of
the following Instagram posts made by the Respondent to her handle
“@[...]”
:
66.1.
Over a screenshot of the Applicant’s media
statement, which clearly shows the Applicant’s brand name and
logo, she stated
as follows:
"this
hurts because they only won because I WAS ALONE AND HAD NO LAWYER TO
DEFEND ME. They lied about me in court and I couldn't
do ANYTHING TO
DEFEND MYSELF! This breaks my heart so bad."
(“the
first post”)
66.2.
A few minutes later, on the same thread as above,
she commented further:
“
it
really hurts you guys. I’m not wrong I promise. Do you guys
know that even in court, their lawyer told me I could leave
because
out case wouldn’t be heard that day? That was a lie! Our case
was heard and they just didn’t want me to be
there so they
could tell the judge that i refused to attend.
They lied about me in
court and it hurts so so much. I’ve been in tears for so long
because I couldn’t defend myself.
I broke down in court and
started crying because of everything they kept saying about me.
i'll
never forgive them! FUCK THEM AND THEIR BRAND! i hope everyone dies!
And fuck everyone else that supports them!”
(“The
second post”)
67.
On or about the 14
th
of December 2023, the Respondent changed her
profile name from “@[...]” to “@[...]”. The
profile “@[...]”
was initially private but, following
legal advice, the Respondent on the 15
th
of December 2023 changed it to enable public
viewing.
Contempt of the
defamation interdict
Legal principles
applicable
68.
In
Reddell
and Others v Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd and Others
[17]
the
constitutional Court found that a juristic entity has an enforceable
common law right to its good name and reputation, which
extends
beyond mere goodwill.
69.
In
Khumalo
v Holomisa
[18]
it was
held that:
“
At
common law, the elements of the delict of defamation are:
(a) the wrongful and
(b) intentional (c) publication of (d) a defamatory statement (e)
concerning the plaintiff.
It is not an element
of the delict in common law that the statement be false. Once a
plaintiff establishes that a defendant has
published a defamatory
statement concerning the plaintiff, it is presumed that the
publication was both unlawful and intentional.
A defendant wishing to
avoid liability for defamation must then raise a defence which rebuts
unlawfulness or intention. Although
not a closed list, the most
commonly raised defences to rebut unlawfulness are that the
publication was true and in the public
benefit; that the publication
constituted fair comment and that the publication was made on a
privileged occasion. Most recently,
a fourth defence rebutting
unlawfulness was adopted by the Supreme Court of Appeal in National
Media Ltd and Others v Bogoshi”
70.
A
statement is defamatory of a plaintiff if it is likely to injure the
good esteem in which he or she is held by the reasonable
or average
person to whom it had been published.
[19]
Application of
defamation principles to Instagram posts of 13 December 2023
71.
With regards to the first post, the Respondent
alleges that the content thereof is true; she was unrepresented the
first day and
on the second day her lawyer was unable to adequately
represent her as he had insufficient time to prepare. (Khinwana AJ
had refused
a postponement in this regard.)
72.
She admits that the comments in the second post
“are unsavoury”, but denies that they are defamatory,
arguing that whilst
they constitute emotive expression, they fall
outside the definition of defamation.
73.
I had afforded the legal representatives for both
parties an opportunity to file further written submissions with
regards to these
comments specifically.
74.
For the respondent it was, firstly, submitted that
the content of the posts were not defamatory as they do
“…
not
have the effect of reducing the Applicant’s status in the
community, at worse, it presents them as having acted mala fide,
no
more, no less
.”
75.
Secondly, the Respondent raised truth and public
interest as a defence, stating that: “
The
publication was the First Respondent’s truth on what transpired
in Court and given that the Applicant had published its
own version
of what transpired in Court, the First Respondent found it in the
public interest to respond thereto. Furthermore,
it is submitted with
respect, the Court was not scandalized by these remarks as they make
no reference to it but the Applicant.”
76.
Khinwana AJ’s judgment clearly demonstrates
the Respondent’s modus operandi: she obstinately refuses to
accept that
she could possibly be in the wrong, portrays herself to
the public as a victim and, even in the face of legal action, uses
her
influence to lash out and injure the reputation of the Applicant,
asserting that her defamatory statements are the truth. I refer
to
some of the findings in that judgments in illustration:
76.1.
“
[29.6]
If this was not sufficient reason to pause, she could have taken the
second media statement issued on 20 November 2023 more
seriously as
it set out all of the facts and threatened urgent legal action, she
doubled down on her resolve, even accusing the
applicant of being the
party that was lying”
[20]
76.2.
“
[36] Upon the launching of this
application, which was physically served on her on 29 November 2023,
the respondent could have reconsidered
the requests of the applicant
but she failed to. The respondent displayed an obstinate disregard
for the consequences of her actions.”
76.3.
“
[38] The respondent's primary defence is
based on the assertion that her statements were true, particularly
regarding the issue
of non-payment.”
76.4.
“
[45] During the proceedings, the
respondent was allowed to present oral submissions to the court.
Throughout this process, she exhibited
a lack of remorse for the harm
her actions may have caused the applicant. Her focus appeared to be
primarily on her interests,
aiming to avoid personal repercussions
rather than meaningfully addressing the issues raised in the case.
This approach indicated
a self-centered perspective, with little
consideration for the broader implications of her actions.”
77.
In the present matter the respondent has simply
elevated her disdain for the applicant by asserting that they lied
under oath. Khinwana
AJ had already found that Applicant did
not lie in court and that it was the Respondent who was prone to
embellishment. Having
already been ordered by the court to remove
posts containing such statements, amongst others, the respondents
continued assertion
that referring to the applicant as “liars”
is not defamatory, is unfathomable. Within the context of the
Khinwana judgment,
it is evident that references to the applicant as
“lying”, form part of the relief granted against the
applicant.
78.
Furthermore, by stating “
I
am not wrong
”
and that “
they
lied
”
she conveys to the public
that her previous averments regarding the applicant remain true and,
in so doing, continues with the defamation
she was ordered to cease.
79.
True to form, the respondent raises the defence of
truthfulness and public interest to excuse her defamatory statements.
This defence
is as contrived as it is devoid of merit
79.1.
In the first instance, the concept of “own
truth” might find favour on a road to self-exploration and
personal enrichment,
but it is decidedly inappropriate in legal
proceedings. Where a court has written a well-reasoned judgement and
made an order pursuant
thereto, as Khinwana AJ did in casu, the only
truth is that which is declared by the court. The applicant’s
media statement
conveyed the findings of court and reiterated the
order. By publishing this media statement the applicant did not
present its “own
version” worthy of retaliation from the
respondent; it noted the findings of the court.
79.2.
Secondly, contrary to her “own truth”
as alleged in her answering affidavit and in the further written
submissions,
she did not state that she was unrepresented the first
day and had (unprepared) representation the second day. She stated
that
she did not have a lawyer and could not defend herself against
the applicant’s “lies”. The first post is
therefore blatantly untrue.
80.
Thirdly, the allegation that Khinwana AJ
ruled in favour of the applicant based on “lies” and that
the Respondent could
not rebut those lies as she was unrepresented,
costs and aspersion on the dignity of the court. The respondent, as
is evident from
her answering affidavit, was afforded the chance to
obtain legal representation. The matter, which is on the urgent role,
was even
allowed to stand over to the next day to afford her the
opportunity to obtain same. From a plain reading of the first post,
it
falsely conveys to the general public that she was unrepresented
the whole time and that Khinwana AJ had not given her chance to
defend herself. The post was intended to cast aspersions on the
manner in which the proceedings were conducted and resultantly
on the
judge in allowing the proceedings to be so conducted. This attack on
the integrity of the Court cannot stand.
81.
The comment as per the second post are similarly
defamatory insofar as they repeat the first post’s contentions
regarding
the court procedure and the truthfulness of the applicant.
However the second post, given the unsavoury tone and vulgar
assertions,
goes even further in its injurious nature.
82.
Having already found that the respondent’s
non-compliance, in posting both the first and second posts, was
wilful and mala
fide beyond a reasonable doubt, it is unnecessary to
describe how the unsavoury portions of the second post constitute
defamation.
I have little doubt that any lay person who read these
posts would consider them as injurious to the Applicants’ good
name
and reputation.
Contempt of the
interim boycott interdict?
Direct enticement to
boycott
83.
Khinwala AJ’s reasoning shows a clear
understanding of the extent of influence, statements on social media
by influencers
such as the respondent can have on a business’
“bottom line”. It is within this context that it was
ordered that
the respondent refrain from using such influence,
directly or indirectly, to, by way of invitation enticement or calls
on the public,
effect a boycott of the applicant’s business and
products.
84.
One would be hard pressed to find a better example
of a direct contravention of this interdict than a social media
influencer stating
to her followers on social media:
FUCK
THEM AND THEIR BRAND! i hope everyone dies! And fuck everyone else
that supports them!”
85.
The
respondent justifies this statement as an emotive comment made
following the applicant’s media statement referred to supra.
The implication being that she was defending herself against an
unwarranted campaign launched against her by the applicant pursuant
to the Khinwala order.
[21]
I
have already dealt with the nature of the media statement, the
perception of a campaign against her is another example of the
“victimhood complex” and blatant refusal to own up to her
errors, that the respondent suffers from
86.
In any event, the respondent has failed to cast a
reasonable doubt as to her mala fides and wilfulness in making this
statement.
Indirect enticement to
boycott
87.
I hasten to point out at this juncture that
insofar as the wilfulness and mala fides of the respondent are
concerned, her counsel
during argument sought clemency in view of her
youthfulness and inexperience. However, specifically in relation to
social media
posts, she is by virtue of her self-proclaimed status as
a social media influencer, in fact an expert in determining the
effect
of comments made on social media. By virtue of her job
description she is capable of using social media as a weapon against
her
detractors. Where a social media influencer posts comments, such
as referred to supra, it would be exceptionally difficult to persuade
a Court that she did not appreciate the nature and effect of such
comments at the time of posting such comments.
88.
It is within the context of this expertise of the
respondent that the applicant’s further complaint of
non-compliance with
the interim boycott order should be understood.
89.
Essentially the applicant alleges that by virtue
of the entire chronological of posts (set out supra) by the
respondent, she
indirectly enticed the public to boycott the
applicant. When viewed individually none of the posts are
a blatantly
contemptuous. However when viewed holistically and
interpreted in light of the image of the conduct of the
applicant and
the court proceedings that it would conjure up in the
mind of the public, it is clear that the respondent manipulated
social media
to injure the Applicant’s reputation.
90.
In
Le Roux and
Others v Dey
the Constitutional Court
held that:
“
In
determining its meaning the court must take account not only of what
the publication expressly conveys, but also of what it implies,
ie
what a reasonable person may infer from it. The implied meaning is
not the same as innuendo, which relates to a secondary or
unusual
defamatory meaning that flows from knowledge of special
circumstances. Meaning is usually conveyed by words, but a picture
may also convey a message, sometimes even stronger than words
.”
91.
In
Isparta
v Richter and Another
[22]
Hiemstra
AJ also followed this contextual approach in determining whether a
post on Facebook defamed the plaintiff, despite
not mentioning her by
name. He held that, in light of the string of previous postings
(referencing the Plaintiff) made by the first
defendant within a
short period of time, the defamatory post would be understood as
referring to the Plaintiff. He further
held that
one cannot look at the posting in isolation
and must consider it as forming part
of an “exchange of
messages”.
92.
For the sake of brevity, I do not intend to
provide an exposition of how each of the sequential posts slot
together to form non-compliance
with the boycott interdict. The
following facts are in my view especially pertinent:
92.1.
On 11 December 2023, after having received
Khinwala AJ’s judgement, the respondent persisted in holding
herself out as a victim.
She plays to the sympathy of her followers
and seemingly still refuses to acknowledge any fault on her part. In
this regard her
statement that she was fighting for her life or
because she was attempting to keep make something of herself and keep
food on the
table, is telling.
92.2.
Thereafter she posts a picture taken inside court
over which she asserts that she stood the risk of going to jail for
merely standing
up for herself again this statement is devoid of any
acknowledgement of fault. The reference to jail is blatantly
incorrect. The
respondent in her answering affidavit states that she
believed at that stage that the intention of the applicant was for
her to
wind up in jail. Presumably, this once again refers to this
concept of own truth. The real truth for purposes of
legal
determination is that at the time of this post she was in
receipt of not only a notice of motion, but also a comprehensive
judgement, neither of which even mention the possibility of
committal. In her answering affidavit she states that the present
contempt of court application vindicates her own truth. This is
disingenuous: The only reasonable explanation why she would have,
on
11 December 2023, thought that committal is possible outcome, would
be if she at that date new she would be in contempt of the
order
granted that very day.
92.3.
At the time of the application before Khinwala AJ,
the respondent had created a narrative through the negative comments
of the applicant
being a corporate bully, casting herself as an
innocent victim. In light here of the aforementioned posts, in the
face of
the order , contextually amount to incitement of the
public to continue boycotting the applicant products. The fact that
the respondent
superimposes this false narrative over a picture of
court makes it even more egregious.
92.4.
Shortly after these posts
(intimating that she is a victim and has in fact
done nothing wrong),
she publishes the retraction of her negative
comments regarding the applicant is ordered indicating that she
wishes “…
the best for the
brand and would like to refrain from making any comments about it
”
.
(As is evident from the posts of 13 December 2023, she prevailed with
this intent for less than two days.) The mere proximity
in time to
the aforementioned posts, creates the impression that the retraction
itself is false.
93.
Resultantly, it is found that the chronology of
these posts constitutes non-compliance with the boycott interdict on
a balance of
probabilities. Similarly, the Respondent has not, on a
balance of probabilities convinced this Court that the non-compliance
was
not wilful and
mala fide
.
Is the Respondent
in contempt of the apology/retraction order?
94.
In
the first place, the applicant alleges that the Respondent only made
a retraction and did not issue and apology. The order itself
stated
that the Respondent must “
post a
video and written retracting and/or apology
”
.
95.
As
‘…
[a]n
order is merely the executive part of the judgment and, to interpret
it, it is necessary to read the order in the context of
the judgment
as a whole’
and
to‘…
have
regard to the context and surrounding circumstances’
[23]
t
he
Applicant however, correctly, asserts that when interpreted within
the context of the reasoning contained in Khinwala AJ’s
judgment, the order envisioned an apology and a retraction. I am in
agreement in this regard. However, in making this determination
a
party would have to have legal knowledge of the principles governing
the interpretation of court orders.
96.
Even if it were to be found that the Respondent failed to comply in
this regard, wilfulness and mala fides cannot be impugned
to her
conduct (on either standards of proof).
97.
Secondly, the applicant states that by changing her profile name, the
respondent sidesteps the spirit of the order. By ordering
that the
retraction the published on the respondent’s social media
accounts and remain visible for 60 days, the intent was
that those
members of the public that are aware of the respondent’s
negative commentary on the applicant, would be able to
see that the
respondent has retracted those statements. The applicant draws an
analogy in this regard to the effect that if news
station A is
ordered to issue an apology for defamation of a company. If, before
issuing same, however, A changes its name to B,
the public would not
be able to link the apology now being made by B as relating to
defamatory statements made by A. That is not
the case here. The
negative comments were made under the profile of @[...]. The
retraction was published under the same profile
name.
98.
A more apt analogy would be: Defamors Pty Ltd
trading as Influencerpro is ordered to publish a retraction for
defamatory statements
made against Hairco on its facebook account. At
the time when it publishes the retraction, its Facebook profile is
“Influencerpro”.
After publishing the retraction,
however, it starts trading as “Influencersupreme” and
created a profile with the same
name. Whilst not deleting the old
profile, it no longer keeps the old profile active. Unless the public
is aware that “Influencerpro”
and “Influencersupreme”
are the same company, the fact that Defamors Pty Ltd has retracted
the statements becomes obscured.
99.
I agree that the intention of the Court in making the order was that
the followers of the Respondent and all members of the
public who had
knowledge of her defamatory statement, should be informed that she
has retracted those statements and has apologised.
When she created a
“new” profile, her followers (who again repost and
influence non-followers) also migrated to this
new profile.
Therefore, despite the retraction being visible on the “old”
profile, it would not attract the same number
of views as the
original defamatory posts had. The order was aimed at the
Respondent, and not “the Respondent known
as @[...]”.
Therefore any action which has the result that the public cannot
readily ascertain that it was the Respondent
retracting or
apologising, negates the object of the order.
100.
In this regard I will, once again, give the benefit of the doubt to
the Respondent and assume that she misunderstood
the Khinwala J
order contextually.
101.
In view of the circumstances regarding the
inability to presently provide final relief to the applicant in any
of the aspects raised,
it would be an injustice of this court to not
apply to mind to the powers granted to it by virtue of Rule 42(1)(b).
102.
Rule 42(1)(b),
contextually, exists to assist Judges in doing justice between the
parties. It allows a Judge to, of her own accord
or on application,
amend an order to reflect the true intention of the pronounced
judgment, provided that the tenor of the judgment
is preserved.
[24]
If an order does not reflect the true or real intention of the court,
it is indicative of a patent error, which falls to
be
corrected.
[25]
There is, in
principle, no reason why another Court cannot interpret the order to
determine what the true intention was
[26]
and vary another Court’s order to properly reflect such true
intention. My order will therefore contain a variation of this
portion of the Khinwala order. As there was a timeframe coupled with
this portion of the order, which has already started running,
I will
also give effect to the intention of Khinwala J in this regard by
providing a new timeframe.
FINDINGS
ON ACTS OF NON COMPLIANCE
103.
After having evaluated the acts of non-compliance
as alleged by the applicant I have determined that the applicant has
proven that
the respondent has not complied with the following orders
made by Khinwala AJ:
103.1.
“
1. That the respondent is interdicted and
restrained from publishing any defamatory statements, posts, memes,
comments, video clips
or sound clips to or on any platform (including
TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X(formerly known as Twitter) and
WhatsApp) referring
to the Applicant or encouraging her social media
followers to do so;”
103.2.
2. That the respondent is interdicted and
restrained from publishing, any statements, posts, memes, comments,
video clips or sound
clips (including Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook,
X(formerly known as twitter) and WhatsApp) on any platform which,
directly or indirectly,
invites, entices or calls on the public to
boycott the applicant's business or products;
104.
The respondent’s noncompliance in relation
to the first order was found to be willful and mala fide beyond a
reasonable doubt.
105.
In relation to the second order was found that,
where she directly invited, enticed or called on the public to
boycott the applicant's
business or products, her non-compliance was
willful and mala fide beyond a reasonable doubt. Where she did so
indirectly, however,
it was found that the non-compliance was willful
and mala fide on a balance of probabilities.
106.
I also find that the applicant has proven that the Respondent has not
complied with the fourth order as per Khinwala
AJ’s judgment,
which provided:
“
4.
That the respondent is ordered to post a video and written retracting
and/or apology of and/or for any defamatory statements,
posts, memes
comments, video clips, or sound clips that the respondent made
against the applicant on any platform (including Tik
Tok, Instagram,
Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and WhatsApp), which
retraction and/or apology posts should remain published
for a period
of not less than 60 (sixty) calendar days.”
107.
However, in this regard the Respondent’s non-compliance was not
wilful or mala fide, but rather was rather the
result of her
not being able to glean the Court’s true intention from the
wording of the order. I have already indicated
that I will vary this
portion to ensure it reflects such intention.
ORDER
108.
I accordingly order as follows:
1. It
is declared that:
a. The
first Respondent has not complied with order 1,2 and 4 of the order
made by Khwinana AJ on the
11
th
of December 2023.
b.
The
first Respondent’s non-compliance in relation to orders 1 and 2
was willful and mala fide beyond a reasonable doubt.
c.
The
first Respondent’s non-compliance in relation to order 4 was
partially willful and mala fide beyond a reasonable doubt
and
partially willful and mala fide on a balance of probabilities.
2.
Paragraph 3 of the order made by Khwinana AJ which reads as follows
“
That
the respondent is ordered to post a video and written retracting
and/or apology of and/or for any defamatory statements, posts,
memes
comments, video clips, or sound clips that the respondent made
against the applicant on any platform (including Tik Tok,
Instagram,
Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and WhatsApp), which
retraction and/or apology posts should remain published
for a period
of not less than 60 (sixty) calendar days
”
Is hereby varied and to
read as follows
“
That
the respondent is ordered to post to any and all her profiles or
handles, a video and a written retraction and apology
for any
defamatory statements, posts, memes comments, video clips, or sound
clips that the respondent made against the applicant
on any platform
(including Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly known as
Twitter) and WhatsApp), which retraction and/or apology
posts should
remain published for a period of not less than 60 (sixty) calendar
days
”
3.
Judgment on the determination of whether the first
Respondent is in contempt of court by virtue of the declarations
contained in
paragraph 1 above is reserved pending the determination
of the issues raised in the “
Problem
statement and directions
”
annexed
to this judgment as “A”
4.
Judgment on the determination of the sanction to
be imposed (if any) is reserved pending the determinations as per
paragraph 3 above.
5.
The first Respondent is ordered to,
simultaneously with her submissions as per the directives contained
in the “Problem statement
and directives”, file an
affidavit and, if she deems it necessary, written submissions on the
following issues:
a) In the event that the
first respondent is found to be guilty of the alleged contempt of
court, what constitutes the appropriate
sanction; and
b) In the event that this
Court deems committal to be appropriate, the nature and magnitude of
sentence that should be imposed,
supported by reasons
6. The
applicant may, within 3 days of receipt of the affidavit referred to
in paragraph 5 above, file an answering
affidavit thereto, whereafter
the first Respondent shall within 3 days file her replying affidavit.
7.
Costs of the application are reserved.
K.
STRYDOM
ACTING
JUDGE OF THE HIGH
COURT
GAUTENG
DIVISION, PRETORIA
Date of hearing:
Date of judgement:
APPEARANCES:
COUNSEL FOR
APPLICANT:
D. MUTEMWA
INSTRUCTED BY:
THOBAKGALE
ATTORNEYS INC.
COUNSEL FOR 1
ST
RESPONDENTS:
B. LUTHULI
INSTRUCTED
BY:
COWAN-HARPERMADIKIZELA
ATTORNEYS INC
COUNSEL
FOR 2
ND
RESPONDENTS:
INSTRUCTED
BY:
S.
L. ATTORNEYS
[1]
Native
Child Africa (Pty) Ltd v Akinwale
(2023-125850)
[2023] ZAGPPHC 2007 (11 December 2023) para 24
[2]
The effect and/or desirability of “divorcing” of a
finding of contempt from the sanction pursuant thereto, will be
dealt with in the judgment below.
[3]
Victoria
Park Ratepayers’ Association v Greyvenouw
CC
2004 JDR 0498 (SE) (“Victoria Park”) at para 27
[4]
Protea Holdings Limited v Wriwt
1978 (3) SA 865
(W) (Protea
Holdings) at 867G.
[5]
Protea Holdings Limited v Wriwt
1978 (3) SA 865
(W) (Protea
Holdings) at 868H.
[6]
Presumably a reference to the Minister of Justice and Correctional
Services
[7]
Secretary of the
Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture,
Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including
Organs of State
v Zuma and Others
(CCT
52/21)
[2021] ZACC 18
;
2021 (9) BCLR 992
(CC);
2021 (5) SA 327
(CC)
(29 June 2021) (“the Zuma contempt case”)
[8]
Snowy
Owl Properties 284 (Pty) Ltd v Celliers and Another
(1295/2021)
[2023] ZASCA
37
(31 March 2023) (Snowy Owl”)
[9]
Snowy Owl at para 22
[10]
Matjhabeng
Local Municipality v Eskom Holdings Ltd and Others
[2017] ZACC 35
;
2017
(11) BCLR 1408
(CC);
2018 (1) SA 1
(CC). (“Matjhabeng”)
[11]
Pheko v
Ekurhuleni City
2015
(5)
SA 600 (CC) (“Pheko II”)
[12]
Safcor
Freight (Pty) Limited t/a Safcor Panalpina v South African Freight
and Dock Workers Union
2004
(3) ALL SA 623 (SE)paragraph 5
[13]
Member
of the Executive Council for the Department of Health, Eastern Cape
v BM
(213/2021)
[2022] ZASCA 140
(24 October 2022) para 12
[14]
Victoria Park para 19;
[15]
Meadow Glen Home Owners Association v City of Tshwane Metropolitan
Municipality
[2014] ZASCA 209
;
2015 (2) SA 413
(SCA) (Meadow Glen)
at para 16
[16]
The direct committal of Mr Zuma in the
Zuma
contempt case
was
unprecedented. As stated by the majority at para 57: “
I
acknowledge that the decision at which I arrive, namely an order of
direct committal, may constitute an unprecedented step forward
on
the trajectory of contempt litigation, in fact, the first time such
an order had been made.”
[17]
Reddell
and Others v Mineral Sands Resources (Pty) Ltd and Others
(CCT 67/21)
[2022] ZACC
38
;
2023 (2) SA 404
(CC);
2023 (7) BCLR 830
(CC) (14 November 2022)
[18]
Khumalo
v Holomisa
[2002]
ZACC 12
;
2002 (5) SA 401
(CC);
2002 (8) BCLR 771
(CC). para 18
[19]
Le Roux
and Others v Dey
2011
(3) SA 274
(CC) PARA 91
[20]
Para 29.6
[21]
See for instance para 150 of the answering affidavit.
[22]
Isparta
v Richter and Another
(22452/12)
[2013] ZAGPPHC 243;
2013 (6) SA 529
(GNP) (4 September 2013)
[23]
lan
Boulevard (Pty) Ltd v Fnyn Investments (Pty) Ltd
[2018] SCA 165;
2019 (3)
SA 441
(SCA) at para 16
[24]
S v
Wells
1990
(1) SA 816
(A) at 820C-F
[25]
Seatle
v Protea Assurance Co Ltd
1984
(2) SA 532
(C) at 541C
[26]
See for instance:
lan
Boulevard (Pty) Ltd v Fnyn Investments (Pty) Ltd
[2018] SCA 165;
2019 (3)
SA 441
(SCA) at para 17
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