Speaking outside the high court in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Sunday Independent editor Steve Motale says he will continue to publish stories about the alleged extramarital relationships of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa has called the articles a “smear campaign” allegedly derived from abusing state security resources after he was linked to as many as eight young women. His personal emails were allegedly hacked and leaked.
Ramaphosa has so far only admitted to one affair from eight years ago, which he claims his wife was aware of.
Motale and his legal team reached an agreement with one of the young women not to leak explicit pictures and videos that she allegedly sent to Ramaphosa. However, he would continue to write about Ramaphosa’s alleged dalliances.
“Absolutely, there’s no smear campaign. The emails are there. The deputy president himself has not denied them. So absolutely, we are going forward.”
In contrast, Weekly Xposé owner Kenny Kunene is opposing an application by the woman to interdict the explicit videos that were published in a blurred form on his site. He also published the woman’s name.
Attorney Nomaswazi Maseko‚ representing the applicant‚ said his client had been embarrassed by Kunene.
He explained outside court that Judge Raylene Keightley did not want them to go into the merits of their case until she had come to her decision, which is expected on Wednesday. Judge Keightley requested the media not to broadcast the proceedings on Wednesday.
Kunene nevertheless told journalists outside court that any woman getting involved with Ramaphosa should have known there would be “consequences” affecting privacy if news of any such affair were to leak.
He said: “It becomes a matter of public interest. When you get into this type of relationship, you know the consequences. The fact that there were emails set up for communication in the relationship. The ladies were aware of the risk to their privacy, and that is the basis of why we are opposing.”
He appeared to say that “she wanted leases [sic], she slept with the dog”.
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