Edward Zuma given seven days to settle hate speech fine

Edward Zuma, the son of former President Jacob Zuma, has been given seven days to pay the balance of a R60 000 fine for hate speech. According to a Daily News report, Magistrate Irfaan Khalil of the Durban Equality Court heard that Edward had failed to comply with the terms of an agreement to pay the fine which was to be split into two equal parts and go to two Durban high schools. This, after he was found guilty of hate speech relating to an open letter distributed in July last year, that hit out at senior government Ministers Derek Hanekom and Pravin Gordhan – calling both sell outs and supporters of white monopoly. In July last year, Khalil ordered a settlement of R60 000, after declaring that Edward's statement was hate speech. Edward was not present in court this week but was represented by his lawyer. The matter was postponed until 7 February.

Full Daily News report

According to a TimesLIVE article, the non-payment was as a result of a dispute between Zuma and his lawyer. The court heard that Zuma had paid the outstanding R12 500 owed to Ohlange High School as part of the fine into his lawyer's trust fund – but the law firm assumed it was a portion of fees owed to them. 'My client has asked me to ask the court to give him seven days to rectify this,' Zuma's lawyer, Ayanda Mkwananzi, told the court. In December he told the court that he did not know if Zuma was 'dead or alive' as repeated text messages and calls went unanswered. Yesterday Mkwananzi said he had spoken to Zuma 15 minutes before the court proceedings started. He said Zuma needed seven days as he was out of KZN and therefore could not pay the school any sooner. In response to Khalil's question as to why Zuma could not make an electronic funds transfer, Mwananzi said he did not know what challenges his client was experiencing with raising the money. However, he assured the court that Zuma would settle the fine by 7 February and then return to court to prove that the fine had been paid. The SA Human Rights Commission, which went to court in December for a warrant of arrest for Zuma after he failed to pay the fine, consented to the seven-day adjournment.

– TimesLIVE