East London man in hot water over ‘vulgar’ Facebook posts

The high court has ordered East London man Donovan Dart not to publish vulgar, derogatory and defamatory comments on Facebook about a senior pastor at Christian Centre in Abbotsford, a prominent attorney and their families.

Deon Lieberum and his wife Jennifer, who are extensively involved in pastoring activities at the church, sought legal protection from Dart.

Attorney Ian Runchman also came under Dart’s vicious purview once proceedings were initiated by Lieberum and obtained protection for himself, his firm and family members.

Dart was accused of having “a propensity for using Facebook as a tool to harass” the Lieberums and Runchmans.

The Lieberums and Dart were close friends for a long time but their relationship soured in 2016. It is not clear from submissions to the East London high court what was behind the breakdown of the relationship.

In September 2017, Lieberum opened a case of assault and malicious damage to property after a public altercation with Dart. This was followed by a magistrate’s court harassment order against Dart in December that year based on Dart’s posts on Facebook.

The posts increased in number and intensity, however, with Dart using other identities, including as Christopher Tucker and Christopher David.

The harassment included claims that the couple had “betrayed an entire East London community”, warnings for readers to “stay away” from the Abbotsford church, and other, more ominous and unsubstantiated claims about the family and the church.

Advocate Dalena Mostert, for the Lieberums and Runchmans, characterised Dart’s posts on Facebook as “defamatory, vulgar, slanderous, contemptuous and derogatory”. She said the posts were intended to harm her clients. A temporary interdict was issued against Dart in August 2019 and when he failed to comply with the order, contempt of court proceedings were brought against him. At that point he directed his online venom at Runchman, his law firm and the legal system.

On Thursday an agreement between Dart and the applicants was made an order of court. Dart also agreed to pay the costs of the application.

● Defamation claims stemming from Facebook posts and comments are coming into sharp focus in the province. Earlier this month, the Dispatch reported that a Bhisho garage owner said he was losing business because of an allegedly defamatory Facebook post.

Bhisho Motors Shell garage owner Patrick Dumisani Buwa’s hackles were raised by Qhamani “Qhamsta” Tyekela’s post about problems that developed in his father’s Toyota Fortuner vehicle after filling up with fuel at Bhisho Motors.

Tyekela posted on January 11 that after filling the vehicle on December 29 and driving to Mthatha, the diesel filter had to be changed by mechanics at Buffalo Toyota.

The mechanics “informed us that the petrol station is to blame” as its fuel tanks might have water in them, he said in court papers.

Buwa went to the Bhisho high court in a bid to silence both Tyekelas, stating that the father and son wanted to cause “immense” damage to him financially. The case has not yet been finalised.

Defamation claims stemming from Facebook posts and comments are coming into sharp focus in the province