Jurie Els wins case against editor

2010-11-30 14:05

Andre Grobler

Bloemfontein - The Supreme Court of Appeal on Tuesday found the editor and publisher of Huisgenoot magazine guilty of contempt of court following an article about singer Jurie Els.

The SCA ruled on an appeal by Els regarding a contempt of court application against editor Esmaré Weideman and Media 24.

Earlier, the Western Cape High Court had ruled that Weideman had not been in contempt of court when the magazine, and its English edition YOU, ran an article in February 2008 in which singer Robbie Klay accused a South African singer of sexual molestation.

Els has in the meantime been acquitted on charges of molesting Klay, as a child, after formal charges were brought before the high court.

Interdict

Els's name was not mentioned in the in-depth interview with Klay. In the magazine's editorial Els was however named in connection with a court attempt to stop publication of the article.

Earlier, Els got an urgent interdict in the North Gauteng High Court to stop publication of the article, but had to bring a proper application 10 days later.

Huisgenoot and YOU did not print the article as submitted to court in Johannesburg, but an edited, censored version before the 10-day period expired.

Els then brought the contempt of court application in the Western Cape High Court against Weideman. The Cape Town court held amongst others that Els's contempt of court application should have been heard in Johannesburg.

On Tuesday, the SCA set aside the high court order and convicted Weideman and Media 24 of contempt of court.

The SCA referred the matter back to the Western Cape High Court to impose an appropriate punishment.

- Huisgenoot/YOU and News24 are both subsidiaries of Media24.

- SAPA