Rapport 'Satisfied' with Settlement with Zuma |
Publication |
Sapa |
Issued | Johannesburg |
Date | 2008-01-16 |
Rapport newspaper said on Wednesday it was satisfied with an out of court
settlement reached with ANC president Jacob Zuma over a defamation and injuria
claim.
"I'm satisfied," was all Rapport editor Tim du Plessis wanted to say on hearing
the news of the settlement on Wednesday.
The claim relates to a reader's letter published in
Rapport on April 2 2006 while the trial of Zuma on a charge of rape was underway
in the Johannesburg High Court.
Du Plessis said the letter had contained one "defamatory
sentence".
He said the paper had retracted the sentence later and published an apology
about it in October that year.
Zuma accepted a R50 000 settlement offer on
Wednesday from the owner of Rapport newspaper Media 24 Ltd and Tim du Plessis
and Chris Karsten after filing a claim against them in 2006, said his
spokeswoman Liesl Gottert.
The parties will also cover Zuma's legal costs.
"Every human being has the right to dignity and no-one should get away
with malicious slander. As I have said from the outset, my claims for defamation
and injuria arise from the principle of fair and honest reporting," said Zuma
after the settlement was reached.
In 2006, Zuma lodged defamation claims against the media to the sum of R63
million.
He is suing media owners, publishers, editors, reporters, cartoonists and
newspapers.
One of the claims against a newspaper concerns "layout foul play".
Broadcaster 94.7 Highveld Stereo was to be sued for R7 million for broadcasting
a song called My name is Zuma, commenting on the Zuma rape trial.
It was played by Darren "Whackhead" Simpson, a member of the radio station's
Rude Awakening (RAW) team.
His biggest claim against one publication was the claim of altogether R20
million against the Star.
This claim consisted of four different claims of R5 million each, three of which
are against award-winning cartoonist Zapiro.
The fourth was for an article accompanied by a manipulated photograph of Zuma.
The Sunday Times, the Citizen, Sunday Sun, Sunday Independent and Sunday World
are all being sued.
Nearly all the items in which Zuma felt he was defamed were opinions or
cartoons.
With acknowledgement to Sapa.