South African Human Rights Commission v Matumba
Case: Mavhidula (on behalf of the South African Human Rights Commission) v Matumba (1/2020)
Court: Equality Court, Louis Trichardt Magistrates Court
Next hearing: 17-18 March 2022
Status: Ongoing
Last updated: 16 March 2022
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Case overview: The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has filed an Equality Court complaint against the Respondent alleging that a series of tweets posted in 2020 constitute harassment in terms of section 11 of the Promotion of Equality and the Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act. The SAHRC argues that the tweets include “serious, demeaning and humiliating comments against women, and black women in particular” and seeks, among others, an apology and the payment of R20 000 from the Respondent to a non-profit organization working with victims of gender-based violence. Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), represented by Power & Associates, successfully applied to intervene as an amicus curiae on Wednesday, 28 July 2021. At the next hearing of this matter, MMA will present oral submissions in relation to justifiable limitations of rights, the speed and application of content on Twitter, the reasonable reader in the context of social media, and the importance of an apology as a remedy in Equality Courts.
Court papers:
- Index and Court Bundle 1 (pages 1-55) (4mb)
- Court Bundle 2 (pages 56-111) (2mb)
- Media Monitoring Africa’s application for admission as an amicus curiae (20 July 2021) (3 mb)
- Media Monitoring Africa’s written submissions (27 July 2021) (355kb)
Attorneys:
