Publication: Sunday Times Issued: Date: 2007-01-14 Reporter: Nashira Davids

Unbalanced, Paranoid and Obsessed 

 

Publication 

Sunday Times

Date

2007-01-14

Reporter

 Nashira Davids

Web Link

www.sundaytimes.co.za

 

The court which this week dismissed the defamation case brought by Ronald Suresh Roberts against the Sunday Times found that not only had he been relentless and obsessive ­ but also described him as haughty, arrogant, vindictive, venomous and paranoid.

Roberts pursued the paper for R150 000 to R250 000 in damages. But the Cape High Court’s Judge Leslie Weinkove said any harm done to Roberts’ reputation was “self-inflicted”.

Some of Judge Weinkove’s comments that got tongues wagging included:
• “[The Sunday Times] has correctly argued that [Roberts] is a public figure who, on the evidence, has been engaged in robust public discord, including harsh venomous criticism of other public figures. He has publicly attacked Nadine Gordimer, William Gumede, Judge Raymond Leon and others, and in doing so, has set a standard which legitimately constitutes an invitation to be used in judging him.”;
•“I found him to be haughty and arrogant not only in his manner of correspondence but also in his manner in court. He displayed a grandiose sense of self-importance and an unreasonable expectation of especially favourable treatment.”;
• “He engaged in name-dropping and he purported to enjoy the patronage of people who occupy high positions in the corridors of power and influence in the new South Africa. He listed among his ‘patrons’ the Mandela family, former Minister Kader Asmal and President Thabo Mbeki.”;
• “I found [Roberts] to be evasive, argumentative and an opportunistic witness. He spent more time trying to score points off the cross-examiner than in answering the questions truthfully *1. He was unconvincing and his evidence was shown to be contradictory.”;
• Referring to the 120-page complaint Roberts made against the SABC, Judge Weinkove said: “[The Sunday Times] counsel submitted that the documentation exhibited the hallmark of ‘an unbalanced, paranoid and obsessed complaint’. I agree.”;
• “In my view, [Roberts’] conduct was obsessive and I can quite believe, having regard to this behaviour on his part and other behaviour which I will set out later, that few people would be prepared to be quoted on him as most of them would be intimidated and fearful of him.”;
• On reporter Chris Barron’s statement that Roberts had been asked to leave Deneys Reitz : “He was in effect hawking an offer of work to a competing firm of attorneys ... “That conduct is serious and a South African lawyer would have been exposed to steps to have him censured by the Law Society and, depending on its findings, might have led to his suspension from practice.”

“He was discredited in cross-examination *1 and one can only wonder what other explanations he might have given to Barron”.

With acknowledgement to Nashira Davids and Sunday Times.