Tau’s statements about Mashaba are defamatory‚ high court rules
Herman Mashaba approached the court over comments Parks Tau made alleging the current mayor was sexist and anti-black
The high court in Johannesburg held on Friday that statements made by the former mayor of the city‚ Parks Tau‚ in 2016 about current mayor Herman Mashaba were defamatory. Mashaba approached the court for relief pending the finalisation of a defamation lawsuit for comments Tau made alleging Mashaba was sexist and anti-black. At a funeral of an ANC councillor on August 28 2016‚ Tau said: “The city is today led by a man who believes women who are senior executives prostituted themselves to be in the jobs they are in. He says that in fact for them to earn the positions that they are in they had to sleep with the leadership. “We have heard views from the mayor‚ Herman Mashaba‚ who says that in fact if it were up to him he would not want to be black.” Tau reportedly did not deny making this statement. However, he said his comments were in response to a statement by Mashaba on August 10 2016 in which he had said: “If the wrong people are in the wrong positions‚ they are going to be purged....
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