Court Gags Mogotsi on ‘Baseless’ Mbalula Accusations

The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has delivered a decisive ruling in favour of Fikile Mbalula, granting a sweeping gagging order against businessman, Brown Mogotsi, for a sustained campaign of defamation.

The court found Mogotsi’s public utterances, which included explosive and politically damaging claims linking the ANC Secretary-General to the 2015 murder of billionaire Wandile Bozwana and to an associated Free State housing scandal, to be both false and unlawful.

Judge Jacobus Strydom prevented Mogotsi from spreading these highly prejudicial falsehoods on any platform. The ruling firmly establishes that Mbalula’s reputation was maliciously harmed by the allegations, which were primarily disseminated through social media and various interviews.

Notably, Mogotsi made no substantive attempt in court to prove the truthfulness of his statements or argue they were fair comment - leaving the court no option but to declare them defamatory.

Mogotsi has, therefore, been directed to retract the statements from all media platforms within 48 hours. Furthermore, the court found him liable for damages, referring the precise quantum to oral evidence - a step that indicates the severity with which the court viewed the character assassination attempt against the prominent political figure.

This judgment also sends a strong message regarding accountability for baseless public accusations.