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Court dismisses Ekurhuleni mayor's bid to stop media reports

Published

The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg dismissed Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza's bid to recover R750 000 from News24 and ordered punitive costs against him. Xhakaza had also asked the court to stop the publication reporting on him.

The mayor wanted the court to halt reporting on him by the publication. The court dismissed the application and ordered him to pay costs on a punitive scale.

The ruling was reported on Friday 23 October in a roundup of the day's top stories. That roundup described the ruling as a significant legal affirmation of press freedom.

Key facts

Who
Nkosindiphile Xhakaza (Ekurhuleni Mayor); Sibonelo Nomvalo (MK Party secretary-general (dismissed)); Jacob Zuma (MK Party president); Pieter Engelbrecht (Shoprite CEO)
When
23 October 2026
Where
Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Pretoria
Status
Reported

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