High Court rules against ex-mayor Tau

The proceeds of a costs order handed down by the High Court in Johannesburg against former Joburg mayor Parks Tau will be donated to an organisation supporting women in need as a result of abuse and other social ills, mayor Herman Mashaba said yesterday.

On Friday, High Court Judge Willem van der Linde handed down judgment in Mashaba’s application for interdictory relief against Tau, Mashaba said in a statement.

“This relief was sought pending the finalisation of a defamation lawsuit against Tau for crude and shameful comments he [had] made alleging I was sexist and anti-black.”

In a scathing judgment, Van der Linde held that the comment “stretched the boundaries of legitimate political criticism into character assassination”.

The high court declared that the statements made by Tau were defamatory and the former mayor was inderdicted from repeating them.

All other issues relating to relief, including a claim of R2 million, were deferred to the pending action Mashaba instituted for damages for defamation.

In another blow to Tau, he was ordered to pay costs for the application, including the costs of two counsel.

“I have decided to donate the proceeds of this costs order to an organisation supporting women in need as a result of abuse and other social ills,” Mashaba said.

“I will be requesting the department of social development in the City of Joburg to assist me identifying a suitable cause.”

On August 28, 2016, at the funeral of the late ANC councillor Nonhlanhla Mthembu, Tau “tastelessly took advantage of the opportunity for cheap politicking”, Mashaba said.

Tau had stated: “The City of Joburg is today led by a man who believes that the women who are senior executives prostituted themselves to be in the jobs they are in.

“He says that, in fact, for them to earn the positions they are in they had to sleep with the leadership.”

Judge Van der Linde held that “the degrading aspect of the statement is so egregious that it transcends the boundaries of legitimate and fair political sideswipe”.

Tau was also slammed for making the following defamatory remarks against Mashaba: “We have heard views from the mayor Herman Mashaba, who says that, in fact, if it were up to him he would not want to be black”.

Mashaba said the disturbing comments made by the former mayor had been widely reported.

“It is without doubt that the ANC has failed to accept that the residents of Johannesburg no longer trust them,” he said. – ANA