Kefilwe Mabote mum after court dismisses defamation case

Influencer Kefilwe Mabote’s battle has been lost before it could even be fought.

This after the Johannesburg High Court reportedly struck her case against Sunday World and its publishers, Funduzi Media, off the court roll on Friday.

According to a Sunday World report on Sunday, the court dismissed Mabote’s case with costs, meaning she would have to cover the other side’s legal fees.

Not Sunday World winning a court case against Kefilwe Mabote, who took them to court and demanded R1 million for calling her a “slay queen”, coming out with another article with the headline “Slay Queen has no case.” Pettiness on another level ???? pic.twitter.com/NFbgSN3Kxf

— #BlackLivesMatter✊???? (@Pseudonym_X92) November 15, 2020

Mabote mounted the R1 million legal action a month ago citing a report published about her that she alleged defamed her image.

Mabote detailed her qualms with the publication in a since-deleted Instagram post containing a statement along with screenshots of a letter of demand served to Sunday World by her lawyers.

According to her statement, she took particular offence to an article titled “Tough times for slay queens” in which she said the publication insinuated that she was a “slay queen” who is on the “bedroom roll” of wealthy men, with criminally charged businessman Edwin Sodi being listed as one of those men.

Mabote then confirmed that she and Sodi were in a “happy, healthy and private relationship” and insisted that they did not have any business ties.

RELATED: Businessman in court over R150m UIF fraud

Sodi has been in the spotlight over the last few weeks for his involvement in the controversial multimillion-rand asbestos audit project case after he was publicly arrested and had most of his assets seized.

Her lawyers’ letter also reveals that she and Sodi had “only had relations for no more than a year”.

“I have resorted to seeking legal recourse against Fundudzi Media, the publishing house of Sunday World, as their defamatory and derogatory article has since brought my reputation and brand into disrepute, thus affecting my relationships with various brands,” said Mabote in a statement.

She added that this was a matter that “sits very closely to her heart” as all sort of allegations were often levelled against influencers and this allegedly affected their business.

The court, however, did not see things her way.

Sunday World then followed up the ruling by announcing their victory in a post which once again labelled Mabote a “slay queen” – one of terms she initially took offence to.

The Citizen reached out to Mabote’s lawyers for a statement on the matter. Her representative at Zwane Inc Attorneys responded: “My client has no comment and will not be providing a statement.”

“The case was not dismissed but removed from the urgent court roll and may still be dealt with in the ordinary course,” added her lawyer.

READ NEXT: Edwin Sodi, ex-Mangaung mayor back in court over asbestos tender

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.