Khuli Chana and cops reach settlement

A two-year court battle between hip-hop star Khulani Morule (Khuli Chana) and the SA Police Service (SAPS) came to an end yesterday. Vuma Reputation Management’s Thabile Manala confirmed a settlement had been reached between the warring parties, but details of the agreement were not available.

“While Chana accepts that this process has weighed heavily on his mental and emotional health, he has been sustained by the support of his family, friends and fans,” said Manala. “He has remained professional amid the trauma.”

Chana was wounded by a bullet from an automatic rifle in Midrand, Gauteng, in October 2013, when police mistook him for a kidnapper. The police fired nine shots at the star and a bullet lodged in one of the fingers on his right hand. The rapper initially sued the minister of police for R2.7 million, but after the police refused to pay, Morule took the matter to the South Gauteng High Court.

Chana took to Twitter to share the great news and thank his legal team, family and friends for the support they gave him. He tweeted: “Needed some time to take it all in. Justice has been served, thank you to MODIMO, my legal team, my family and fans.”

In the police ministry’s 2014-2015 annual report, it said the number of damages claims had increased by 21% from 8 161 to 9 877 compared with the previous financial year. The report also showed there had been an increase in the costs of finalising damages claims, from R3.7 billion in the previous period to R9.5 billion in 2014-2015.