After leaving the courthouse victorious in a case against author Jackie Phamotse, Romeo and Basetsana Kumalo have released a statement on the outcome of the court proceedings.
The court battle was a result of tweets (now X) written by Jackie in 2018 where she shared that she overheard a conversation between a media mogul and her husband begging a friend not to release a video where the husband was involved in a sexual act with a male celebrity. After the author’s followers associated her tweet with the Kumalos, she responded by sharing a laughing emoji and wrote, “I love it,” revealed a media statement from the National Prosecuting Authority.
Jackie has been found guilty on two counts of crimen injuria, one count of defamation and one of contempt of court.
On Thursday, the Kumalo couple took to Instagram to share a statement, saying that they welcome the outcome of the court proceedings.
The statement further read:
“We are relieved that the saga has now been dispensed with and that our families can start a moment of reflection, healing, and recovery. This ordeal has been a severe test on the bonds of family and friends. Our children have been devastatingly impacted by these damning allegations. We watched with pain, their psychological beings, social lives and self-esteem taking unimaginable knocks. As businesspeople, our ability to pursue sustainable livelihoods were hamstrung, with some business prospects being brought to a halt.”
The couple then thanked their family and friends, as well as “the greater South African community at large” for the support they received.
“We wish to appeal to South Africans to exercise extreme caution when using social media platforms, to at least desist from bullying, making false claims and defamatory remarks about other fellow citizens,” the statement read. “Social media remains a powerful avenue through which we can empower and educate each other. It is therefore critical that it is not used as an outlet to defame, disparage, and besmirch.”
The statement concluded, “The matter has been on the roll for almost five years and sentencing is expected to be handed down on 24 October 2023.”
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Also see: Romeo and Basetsana Kumalo win their case against Jackie Phamotse
