Johannesburg – The lesson learned in South Africa’s celebville this week is not to mess with Queen B.
The former live presenter, Bonang Matheba, has many reasons to celebrate.
This comes after she confirmed in a released statement that she has successfully sued blogger and podcaster Rea Gopane for R300 000 for defaming her name.
The incident happened last year after a video of him went viral, following the tragic death of her ex rapper boyfriend AKA’s fiancée Anele “Nellie” Tembe last year.
…I won! 🥂👏🏾🥳
— Bonang Matheba 👑 (@Bonang) January 28, 2022
In the video, Rea and his co-host discuss the circumstances around Anele’s death and how, at her funeral, her father, Durban businessman Moses Tembe, had alluded to his daughter possibly having a problem with substance abuse.
“We know AKA, let’s not hide from the truth. Scoop (television presenter Scoop Makhathini) told us that AKA is on cocaine and Bonang is the one that got him onto cocaine. Scoop told us that, so we know that AKA is into hard drugs,” Rea said.
Rea’s co-host warned him not to speak about things he has no evidence of, but the podcaster continued.
After the video went online, Bonang took to social media to ask if anyone had Rea’s email address.
She then served legal papers on him, related to defamation proceedings.
Today Bonang tweeted that she won 300 000 after it was revealed that she was suing Rea for 500 000 in deformation.
….R300 000!!! 🥳🥂
— Bonang Matheba 👑 (@Bonang) January 28, 2022
Bonang released a statement confirming that she won the case.
Her statement reads as follows:
It is with a great deal of humility that I acknowledge and welcome the vindicating and ground-breaking ruling by Judge Malindi of the High Court of Johannesburg, South Africa on 27 January 2022.
Following several false and defamatory attacks on my reputation by a certain Mr Gopane, and only after two written requests to desist which were ignored, I instituted an action for compensatory damages in the Johannesburg High Court.
After hearing an argument relating to the unlawful conduct of Mr Gopane the court upheld my claim for damages, and in a precedent-setting judgment, ordered that Mr Gopane pay damages in the amount of R300,000 plus the legal costs of the action.
I trust that this judgment be a lesson to individuals lke Mr Gopane that there are consequences for abusing public platforms to defame and humiliate others.
It Is important that particularly as women our voices are used constructively to ensure that cyber bulling, untrue and inflammatory attacks on any individuals reputation are not tolerated.
It is not my intention to benefit financially from the ruling rather I wish to uplift those less fortunate than me and I will be donating the damages received to my philanthropic endeavour to the Bonang Matheba Foundation which was establshed to advance the tertiary education of young women.
I would further like to acknowledge and thank Thomson Wiiks Attorneys for their unwavering support and commitment during these proceedings.
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It is not my intention to benefit financially from the ruling rather I wish to uplift those less fortunate than me and I will be donating the damages received to my philanthropic endeavour, the Bonang Matheba Foundation with the specific purpose to help others who may be in a similar situation to obtain justice.
I would further like to acknowledge and thank Thomson Wiiks Attorneys for their unwavering support and commitment during these proceedings.
The end. 🥂❤️ Thank you for all your support. pic.twitter.com/0MqNYgEumz
— Bonang Matheba 👑 (@Bonang) January 28, 2022
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