Edward Zuma given another 'final' chance to pay full hate speech fine
22 January 2019
Edward Zuma has been given yet another "final" opportunity to pay the remaining R12 500 he owes of a R60 000 fine the Equality Court handed him for hate speech.
The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) - which lodged the court application against him - asked that he be held in contempt of court for failing to fully honour a settlement agreement that was made an order of the Equality Court in Durban in May last year, for remarks he made in July 2017.
The agreement stated that he had to issue a written apology for his comments accusing ministers Derek Hanekom and Pravin Gordhan of being sell-outs. He labelled Hanekom an askari who was "no better than a vile dog", and Gordhan a racist who viewed black people as nothing more than "k...s".
He was also ordered to pay two under-resourced schools in KwaZulu-Natal R30 000 each.
The matter was last in court in December when the commission's legal representative, Pavershree Padayachee, told Magistrate Irfaan Khalil that Zuma had not paid a final instalment of R12 500 to Ohlanga High School in Inanda.
'Because of who he is'
Padayachee asked that Zuma be held in contempt of court and be given a suspended sentence, claiming: "He thinks he can do this because of who he is."
After hearing from Zuma's attorney, Ayanda Mkhwanazi, that he had not been able to contact his client, the magistrate postponed the matter to Tuesday.
Zuma was again nowhere to be seen on Tuesday, although Mkhwanazi said he had spoken to him telephonically just before the court hearing.
He said his client had put the funds into his firm's trust account, but there was a dispute about whether this was to pay the balance of the damages or whether it was for legal fees.
"He has asked for seven days to resolve this issue," Mkhwanazi said.
"He is not in KwaZulu-Natal and says he cannot make an EFT deposit… he thought that the matter was finalised."
Padayachee "reluctantly" agreed to another postponement.
The magistrate explained that the situation was different to the one in December when Zuma could not be contacted at all.
"If he had not made any payment at all, the situation would be different... but now there is a dispute between attorney and client which needs to be resolved."
He said the adjournment - until February 7 - was "final".
He ordered Zuma to pay the SAHRC's legal costs of three adjournments and suggested these be billed before the next hearing so they could be paid along with the outstanding damages.
