Johannesburg - The Economic Freedom Fighters have confirmed that its national chairperson, Advocate Dali Mpofu, will represent radio and television personality Gareth Cliff in a civil case against M-Net.
Cliff is suing the company for R25 million following what he calls an “unfair dismissal”, following controversial comments he made on social media regarding racism.
EFF Deputy President, Floyd Shivambu said on Tuesday that Mpofu had a professional right and obligation to represent whosoever approached and briefed him on any issue that related to law.
Twitter reacts to Mpofu’s new brief
However, Shivambu said Cliff’s comments being justified on the basis of freedom of speech were “totally unacceptable”.
“The non-apology given by Gareth Cliff is noted but it does not change that his prompt reaction to the dehumanising and racist statements of Penny Sparrow was that she must be defended for freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is never absolute and beneficiaries of white racism in SA should never be used this right as justification of their racist utterances.”
The party reiterated that Mpofu’s representation of Cliff was a legal obligation to fulfil his professional duty as an advocate.
The Idols judge received a backlash on social media when he tweeted about the Penny Sparrow saga in which the former estate agent called black beachgoers at Durban beaches “monkeys”.
Dali Mpofu to represent Gareth Cliff
In his tweet, Cliff wrote that “people don’t understand free speech at all”.
Cliff subsequently said in a blog post that his response on Twitter was not to Penny Sparrow but to a tweet about a survey on freedom of speech which spiralled out of control.
“Instead of engagement and reviewing the context, the ANCYL (my ANC!!) tweet out with a call to march on DStv until they remove me.”
African News Agency
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