Jackie Phamotse has been sentenced to two years of house arrest with a fine and unpaid community service in her defamation case involving Basetsana Kumalo.
Jackie, real name Katleho Jaqueline Phamotse, was found guilty on four charges — including defamation, crimen injuria and violating a protection order — in the matter brought by the businesswoman and former beauty queen.
The matter centred on Phamotse's 2018 Twitter post about an alleged gay sex tape involving the media mogul and her husband, Romeo.
Phamotse was ordered to perform unpaid community service for 16 hours a month for the duration of the sentence; has to submit herself for an assessment with a social worker; and must complete a life skills programme and any other programmes as directed by the commissioner of correctional services programmes, at her expense.
The conditions of correctional supervision also require Jackie to refrain from the use/abuse of alcohol and/or drugs and for her to notify the commissioner in writing of any change of residential or work address. Jackie was fined R12,000 (or four months' imprisonment), and an R18,000 fine (or six months' imprisonment).
The author paid R4,000 after the judgment and asked to pay the rest in instalments within three months.
Kumalo, who was filming bits of the judgment for her upcoming documentary, said she felt justice had been served.
“The dignity of my family has been restored. This unprecedented judgment is victory, not only to my family but to each and every South African who wakes up each and every morning and works hard to earn an honest living. This is for each and every child who has been cyberbullied,” she told journalists.
“Now South Africans have recourse should they be cyberbullied. This judgment is also a tribute to people who have taken their lives because of cyberbullies.”
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