Publications
Johannesburg - Following a failed last-minute court bid to gag it, the Sunday Independent has published a front page article alleging Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s involvement in a number of extramarital affairs.
The newspaper claims it has details of alleged relations between Ramaphosa – who is married with children – and approximately eight women, but would only release information about three this week. It is apparently intent on exposing details of the other alleged affairs in the future.
The newspaper shared private details, such as the fact that one of the women had suffered a miscarriage, and the journalist's perceptions of the psychological wellbeing of one of the women, according to the leaked emails it has claimed as its primary source for the information.
The three women were reportedly contacted by the Sunday Independent. One confirmed a previous relationship with Ramaphosa, but said it had ended. The other denied a relationship, while the third did not respond.
On Saturday evening, an urgent interdict to stop the newspaper from publishing the claims was struck from the roll in the South Gauteng High Court.
Judge Bashier Vally, in his judgment, said that Ramaphosa had not offered sufficient information to prove the urgency of the matter.
- Read more: Ramaphosa loses court bid to stop newspaper from publishing story about his personal life
Sunday Independent editor Steven Motale told News24 that the outcome of the court application was a victory for media freedom.
"He portrays himself as a paragon of moral value, he should know better," said Motale.
Earlier on Saturday, Ramaphosa described claims made about his personal life as an “episode [that] extends far beyond an attempt at political smear”.
His comments that the claims represented “an escalation of a dirty war against those who are working to restore the values, principles and integrity of the African National Congress and society,” came after a Whatsapp message appeared on social media which purported to be correspondence from the newspaper to the presidential hopeful.
- Read: Latest episode an escalation of a dirty war - Ramaphosa responds to smear campaign
Ramaphosa said in his media statement that he found suggestions that he paid money to women “with whom I was supposedly in relationships” to be “deeply disturbing”.
Instead, he said, he and his wife financially assisted 54 students, including men and women.
Ramaphosa told the Sunday Times that he had in fact had an extramarital affair, but denied that he was a blesser.
