The stage has been set for what promises to be a formidable battle as a social media influencer’s allegations that her fellow social media influencer Tebogo Thobejane has – among other allegations – slept with a top ANC politician are now destined to be tested in a court of law.
Sunday World can today reveal that Innocentia Morolong has filed papers in the Joburg High Court in which she declared that she will defend the allegations she made against Thobejane.
Thobejane, who played Belinda on SABC 2’s flagship soapie Muvhango, filed a half-million rand defamation lawsuit against Morolong in the same court three months ago.
In the papers, which we have seen, Thobejane alleges Morolong defamed her when she took to social media and alleged that she was a prostitute who slept with a high-profile ruling party politician.
Thobejane also said Morolong accused her of being a “loose woman” who sells her body to make money, and that she had slept with more than 20 other men without protection. Morolong alleged Thobejane enjoyed unprotected sex with the same circle of men and also slept with her friends in exchange for money to buy bracelets.
The aggrieved Thobejane said Morolong’s words were hurtful and defamatory and were understood by viewers of the video to mean that she was a woman of loose morals and a hooker.
“The defendant’s statements are malicious and violated the dignity of the plaintiff, which the plaintiff is entitled to protect since it is not true that the plaintiff is a prostitute,” read the papers.
Thobejane said when her lawyers wrote Morolong a letter on March 25 demanding that she remove her defamatory posts within 24 hours and issue an unconditional apology, she refused.
Instead, she took to her Instagram account and posted a video in which she asked: “For what? For saying the truth? Why must I apologise to you, I will nva, You can do the worst you can think of, but I will nva apologise to you sesi,” read the court papers.
Later that evening, Morolong alleged in a live video that Thobejane had slept with a popular politician but did not reveal his name. Thobejane said one of their friends sent Morolong a WhatsApp message and implored her to refrain from attacking her. Instead, Morolong made more allegations that the actress had also slept with the boyfriend of some woman named “Babalwa”.
She also claimed Thobejane had thrown drug parties.
Thobejane said Morolong did not have evidence to support her defamatory allegations, which have caused serious financial harm to her business as a social media influencer. “Wherefore the plaintiff prays for judgment as follows; payment of the amount of R500 000.”
But in the “notice to defend” the lawsuit, her lawyer T Hadebe Attorneys, said Morolong would defend her allegations. “Kindly take notice that the defendant hereby gives notice of her intention to defend the above matter,” read the papers.
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