Cape Town - Former president Jacob Zuma will have to defend a defamation claim from former cabinet minister Derek Hanekom over a tweet which alluded that the latter was a spy.
Soon after Hanekom’s admission last month that he had worked with opposition parties in Parliament ahead of a no-confidence vote in Zuma in February 2018, Zuma tweeted on July 25 that the former Tourism Minister was a “known enemy agent”.
Hanekom’s admission came after EFF leader Julius Malema, addressing supporters, alleged that Hanekom had conspired to axe Zuma. That no confidence motion was never tabled because Zuma begrudgingly decided to step down.
According to Business Day, Hanekom will be suing Zuma for R500 000. Zuma during his appearance in July at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture, spectacularly claimed that his former cabinet ministers Ngoako Ramathlodi and Siphiwe Nyanda were spies.
According to court papers, the defamation case is set for August 21. Zuma will then have to provide evidence for his accusations.
Hanekom reportedly argued that the accusations made on Zuma's official Twitter account had caused "immense harm and damage" to his reputation and this harm would continue as long as "this statement remained published without censure".