Firstly let me invite you to read a terribly inaccurate Independent Democrat press release : ‘I am a living example of fighting for freedom of speech’
‘I am a living example of fighting for freedom of speech. The first court case in the New South Africa for the right to freedom of speech was fought by me and won'
In sport they say that you are only as good as your last game.... which I lost. My hypocracy though allows me to have a convenienly short memory: De Lille book invaded HIV women's privacy, court finds More recently I ruined three people's lives by abusing my freedom of speech... yes I lost... and Justice Pius Langa wanted to award costs all the way back to the Joburg High Court - could you ever.
Mark Heywood reckoned that the "it was particularly important because it was brought by the poorest of the poor ... it indicates that the poorest of the poor should trust the Constitution and legal processes" That's right - I fought the poorest of the poor all the way through to the Constitutional Court, because I could not accept that revealing their HIV status to the public would ruin their lives - how stupid I was. Kinda tough on the three women who have had to carry that legal burden all this time. Whew - am I glad it wasn't me! R35 000 each and costs. Hah - hardly worth the effort. I should remind Simon of that.
That reminds me of what the one woman who sued me said "My life has been totally ruined. It is no longer worth living. I lost my boyfriend, I lost my home, I lost my furniture. There is nothing more to live for." What I don't understand is why this woman would pour thinners over herself and set herself alight..I suppose that getting R35 000 out of a R200 000 claim makes you think that you won. Think again! It's only 17.5% of your claim - and by the time the attorneys and advocates have dropped off their accounts you'll be penniless again. And the ConCourt didn't even tell me I had to apologise - like you had hoped for... I don't know what good an apology would have been good for when I have ruined your life?
And back to my press release: 'Is there not a way, without dismissing the concept of blogging and MXit, to make sure that when people are defamed or slandered, they are able to take the same action to which they are entitled when it happens in print and electronic media?’
I must admit that as the Chancellor of the Durban Institute of Technology I may not seem all that tech savvy, but you will understand that my excuse is that like Danisa Baloyi it's a bit of a non executive position. I don't actually have to know about technolology.. and how the internet works... and what blogging actually is... and how come we haven't been able to track down the man who said those nasty things about Simon! It's a bit absurd that Simon's not going to get paid for his defamation of character - like I have had to stick my hand in my pocket in the last month - and I didn't even mean to ruin those women's lives! It's not fair I tell you.
So to the women whose lives I ruined - the rules need to be bent when I don't like the outcome! I hear that the Chinese are the ones to talk to!
As your leader in abuse of Freedom of Expression and destroyer of Privacy I trust you will be able to turn the usual blind eye for my own indiscretions.
(Parody? Truth for the Public Benefit? Unfair Comment?)
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