Cape Town – Sacked Idols SA judge Gareth Cliff is suing M-Net for R25-million for wrongful dismissal, a report says..
According to an eNCA report on Monday morning, Cliff's lawyer Eric Mabuza confirmed that his client was suing M-Net.
"He is suing for R25-million, including for defamation of character."
Cliff reportedly also wants to be reinstated as an Idols presenter.
Also read: Gareth Cliff lawsuit: M-Net given deadline
Cliff was fired after his involvement in the Penny Sparrow debacle. The DJ was criticised for viewing a racist Facebook post by Sparrow as freedom of speech.
Last week, Cliff penned a blog post to share how he feels about M-Net's decision to fire him.
“... #SparrowGate very quickly escalated into #IdolsGate after M-Net made an announcement that I would no longer be part of the judging panel. This came after demands on Twitter to have me removed.”
Cliff said he believed the channel fell into a frenzy right before the matter was about to die down, but he added that he was unfazed by the decision.
Also read: Dali Mpofu to represent Gareth Cliff
“My 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.”
Cliff said he would now focus all his energy on his radio station, Cliff Central.
IOL and The Star