Contact

Court order outlines details of settlement between Sunette Bridges and the SAHRC

Back to top

Court order outlines details of settlement between Sunette Bridges and the SAHRC

1 Apr 2015 2 min read Article

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and Afrikaans singer Sunette Bridges have reached an agreement in their matter heard before the Equality Court of South Africa.  The SAHRC, Western Cape, lodged a case at the Equality Court against Bridges during 2014 concerning the allegedly racist nature of the commentary on her Facebook page.

The agreement, which has been made an order of the Equality Court by Judge Desai, confirms and declares that the controversial comments about which the SAHRC complained amount to hate speech and harassment in terms of the Equality Act.  The order further recognises that Ms. Bridges did take steps in the past to address and remove racist commentary from her pages.

According to the court order, Ms. Bridges must regularly monitor her Facebook pages and remove any content that amounts to hate speech, harassment, or the inciting of violence. Ms. Bridges must further  post messages on her Facebook pages in both English and Afrikaans, distancing herself from any form of hate speech and harassment.  She is further obliged to warn users of the content of the Court Order and that comments promoting hate speech, harassment and those inciting violence will not be tolerated on her pages. 

Karam Singh, Western Cape Provincial Manager of the SAHRC, states, "The South African Human Rights Commission welcomes the order and will be now be watching closely the steps that Ms Bridges and others take to ensure that their pages are not used as a platform for hate speech and racism.  The SAHRC further welcomes a constructive dialogue with those persons who may feel a sense of marginalisation and bitterness at the new society South Africa is in the process of forging.  All persons, of whatever race, religion or creed, ought to feel welcome in our unified society and to be able to enjoy freedom of expression.  But that expression ought not to be aimed at vilifying and spreading hatred against other groups in South Africa.” 

Brigit Rubinstein, a Director in Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr’s Dispute Resolution practice, represented the SAHRC in this matter.

The information and material published on this website is provided for general purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We make every effort to ensure that the content is updated regularly and to offer the most current and accurate information. Please consult one of our lawyers on any specific legal problem or matter. We accept no responsibility for any loss or damage, whether direct or consequential, which may arise from reliance on the information contained in these pages. Please refer to our full terms and conditions. Copyright © 2024 Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. All rights reserved. For permission to reproduce an article or publication, please contact us cliffedekkerhofmeyr@cdhlegal.com.

You might also be interested in

22 Oct 2024

by Veronica Connolly

Become immune to immunity: Negotiating international arbitration agreements with a state

Private entities frequently enter into contracts with states or state-owned entities in public-private partnerships and other commercial transactions. This is especially common in major infrastructure and energy projects where significant foreign direct investment interrelates with state-owned assets andlicencing.   

International Arbitration

4 min read

14 May 2024

by Alex de Wet and Kirsty de Sousa

Categorisation of property by municipalities of developer stock vacant land

In the recent case of City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality and Others v Copperleaf Country Estate (Pty) Ltd and Another (245/2023) ZASCA 69 (3 May 2024), the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) upheld a judgment granted by the Gauteng Division of the High Court, Pretoria, concerning the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality’s (City) supplementary valuation rolls for 2010–2011 and 2013–2017. The cross appeal filed by Copperleaf Country Estate (Pty) Ltd (Copperleaf), challenged the incorrect categorisation of its properties as “ vacant land ” rather than “ business/commercial ”.

Real Estate Law

2 min read

4 Dec 2024

by Yaniv Kleitman and Menachem Gudelsky

Measure twice, cut once: Recent case law on how to remove company directors

In any war between factions of shareholders, the first battle typically plays out in respect of board composition, as that is the central decision-making organ of a company. The procedures regarding director removals are not necessarily very complex but can turn out that way if not followed surgically. The recent unreported judgments of Jones and Others v Delport and Others (2023/082594) (28 August 2024) and Sharp and Another v Buthelezi and Others (2024/088147) (18 September 2024), in the Gauteng High Court Local and Provincial Divisions, underline the importance of this and remind us of the sage advice, “ measure twice, cut once ”. Under the Companies Act 71 of 2008 (Companies Act), the removal of a director may occur either by their fellow directors under section 71(3) or via an ordinary resolution of the company’s shareholders under section 71(1). Each of these has different requirements andconsiderations. 

Corporate & Commercial Law

5 min read

19 Mar 2024

by Jacquie Cassette, Brigitta Mangale, Clarice Wambua, Gift Xaba, Elgene Roos and Lauriene Maingi

Video | The significant impact of our Pro Bono & Human Rights practice

As we commemorate Human Rights Day on Thursday, 21 March, one of the ways CDH demonstrates our commitment to the transformation of our society is through our dedicated Pro Bono & Human Rights Practice. We provide pro bono representation of the highest standard to deserving individuals, communities, NGOs and other organisations that promote human rights or the public interest.

Firm News

02:22 Minutes

8 Feb 2024

For the love of the game: Tax planning and compliance considerations for the South African sports and entertainment industries

South Africa’s sports teams, sportspeople, and entertainers have made the country proud over the last few months for their exploits on the international stage. In November 2023, the Springboks became the first team to win the Rugby World Cup four times. The South African cricket team made it to the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup where they narrowly lost to Australia, and Bafana Bafana made it to the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament for the first time in more than 20 years. On the individual front, Dricus du Plessis became the first South African to hold an Ultimate Fighting Championship belt, and a few days ago, Tyla won the Grammy for the Best African Music Performance, with artist Musa Keys also having been nominated in that category. Kgothatso Montjane also won the women’s wheelchair doubles titles at the French Open and US Open in 2023 and made it to the women’s wheelchair singles final atWimbledon. 

Tax & Exchange Control

6 min read

27 Aug 2024

by Neha Dhana and Claudia Moser

Appealing or Rescinding? That is the question when dealing with judgments granted against a person without their knowledge

The Uniform Rules of Court direct that any document initiating legal proceedings must be served by the Sheriff of the High Court on a defendant/respondent. The purpose of this rule is to bring to the attention of the defendant/respondent that legal proceedings have been brought against them. The Uniform Rules of Court, however, do not always require the document instituting the legal proceedings to be personally served on the defendant/respondent. This can lead to a situation where judgment is granted against a person without their knowledge.

Dispute Resolution

3 min read

This website uses cookies to enhance the browsing experience. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.

Accept Decline