Influencer and author Kefilwe Mabote | Picture: Instagram
Influencer Kefilwe Mabote’s battle has been lost before it could even be fought.
This after the Johannesburg High Court reportedly struck her case against Sunday World and its publishers, Funduzi Media, off the court roll on Friday.
According to a Sunday World report on Sunday, the court dismissed Mabote’s case with costs, meaning she would have to cover the other side’s legal fees.
Mabote mounted the R1 million legal action a month ago citing a report published about her that she alleged defamed her image.
Mabote detailed her qualms with the publication in a since-deleted Instagram post containing a statement along with screenshots of a letter of demand served to Sunday World by her lawyers.
According to her statement, she took particular offence to an article titled “Tough times for slay queens” in which she said the publication insinuated that she was a “slay queen” who is on the “bedroom roll” of wealthy men, with criminally charged businessman Edwin Sodi being listed as one of those men.
Mabote then confirmed that she and Sodi were in a “happy, healthy and private relationship” and insisted that they did not have any business ties.
Sodi has been in the spotlight over the last few weeks for his involvement in the controversial multimillion-rand asbestos audit project case after he was publicly arrested and had most of his assets seized.
Her lawyers’ letter also reveals that she and Sodi had “only had relations for no more than a year”.
“I have resorted to seeking legal recourse against Fundudzi Media, the publishing house of Sunday World, as their defamatory and derogatory article has since brought my reputation and brand into disrepute, thus affecting my relationships with various brands,” said Mabote in a statement.
She added that this was a matter that “sits very closely to her heart” as all sort of allegations were often levelled against influencers and this allegedly affected their business.
The court, however, did not see things her way.
Sunday World then followed up the ruling by announcing their victory in a post which once again labelled Mabote a “slay queen” – one of terms she initially took offence to.
The Citizen reached out to Mabote’s lawyers for a statement on the matter. Her representative at Zwane Inc Attorneys responded: “My client has no comment and will not be providing a statement.”
“The case was not dismissed but removed from the urgent court roll and may still be dealt with in the ordinary course,” added her lawyer.
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