Derek Hanekom's lawyer said on Monday he's accepted former president Jacob Zuma’s apology. Zuma’s Twitter apology follows the Constitutional Court ruling that he defamed the former tourism minister.
Last year, Zuma called Hanekom a known enemy agent.But Hanekom still wants Zuma to fork out R500,000 for damage caused to his reputation.
Webber Wentzel partner Pooja Dela-Cronsaid the courts can't order a person to take the high road and they can't order a person to be sincere.
"The reason why Mr Hanekom can safely and comfortably accept the apology is not because of the form in which the former president has opted to frame the apology," she said.
"Rather, it is fact, that the highest court in this country -- including the Constitutional Court -- have said to the former president that what you have said is false and defamatory, what you have done is unlawful and your conduct falls far off the constitutional standards so it’s on that basis that Mr Hanekom accepted the apology."
-eNCA
