Gordhan loses hate speech case against Malema
The Equality court, sitting in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has dismissed Minister Pravin Gordhan's hate speech application against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema.
The Public Enterprises minister dragged Malema to court after the EFF leader took aim at the minister in Parktown, in November last year.
During Malema's address to supporters, he referred to Gordhan as a "dog of white monopoly capital".
Judge Roland Sutherland handed down his judgment on Thursday morning.
Sutherland did not deny the comments may indeed be hateful, but found they do not fall within the terms of the Equality Act.
"The principle finding is that, not withstanding the remarks made in the course of the speech being indeed hateful, they were not brought within the prohibited grounds as set out in definition of the various grounds in section 1 of the Act," said Sutherland.
The application was dismissed with costs.
"The costs of the interlocutory application shall be borne by the applicant, including the cost of two council," ruled Sutherland.
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