FORMER ANC Youth League senior official Suzanne Govender, convicted of crimen injuria for using the K-word to describe fellow ANC members, yesterday signed an agreement to pay R8000 to Thembeka Gcwaba, one of those she referred to.
After much deliberation, the settlement was signed outside the Chatsworth Equality Court.
However, the court will make a final order on the matter.
Gcwaba’s name was specifically mentioned in Govender’s WhatsApp conversation, which was leaked online.
The agreement states that Govender would pay damages of R8000 to Gcwaba in instalments of R500 a month, from November 30.
Govender would also complete 120 hours of community service and tender a written apology, which would be published on social media platforms.
The magistrate adjourned the case to October 27 for the final order.
Govender had told the court that she earned R3 100 a month as an employee of the Extended Public Works Programme and could not afford the R30 000 settlement she had earlier proposed to pay.
Speaking to the Daily News outside court, Gcwaba said she only signed the agreement to end the two-year “nightmare”.
“When this matter first went to court, Govender had offered to pay me R30 000 in damages. She later changed her tune and offered way less. Her offer had at some stage dropped to R5000 and today there was an offer of R8 000. I am not happy with this settlement, but I wanted the nightmare to be over. This matter has taken two years. I wanted it to end,” she said.
Gcwaba said she had been humiliated and her dignity was impaired when she found out on social media about by Govender’s remarks.
A screen grab of Govender’s WhatsApp conversation shows her saying, “I got a feeling its those K****R madirs from Welbedacht (sic).”
Govender had claimed the messages were forged and earlier denied using the K-word.
Her lawyer, Siven Samuel said she had been remorseful from the beginning.
Daily News