Musa Khawula's blog on Nozuko Mbalula and Michelle Perrow ruled defamatory

30 May 2024 - 22:22
By TimesLIVE
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and his wife Nozuko at Sona 2020. File photo.
Image: Andisiwe Makinana ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and his wife Nozuko at Sona 2020. File photo.

The Johannesburg high court has declared that allegations made about the wife of ANC secretary-general Nozuko Mbalula and Michelle Perrow by blogger Musa Khawula are defamatory and false.

Khawula had taken to his X account on May 8 and alleged Nozuko and Perrow were involved in a R150m fraud and corruption scandal.

Judge Nicolene Janse van Nieuwenhuizen declared in an order on Thursday that Khawula’s publication of the statement was unlawful and that he was liable to pay damages to both the parties involved.  

The judge ordered Khawula to retract the statement within 48 hours from all media platforms by deleting the thread of statements. 

She also ordered that Khawula be interdicted from conducting any interviews or posting statements on X or any other social media platforms that implied that Nozuko and Perrow were involved in fraud and corruption. 

The court said the quantification of damages was referred to oral evidence. 

Khawula was ordered to pay Mbalula and Perrow costs on an attorney and client scale, including the costs of two counsel. 

TimesLIVE