The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ & CD) has clarified that Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi would appoint a legal team in her personal capacity to pursue legal action against an influencer.
The clarification on Sunday follows a statement the department issued on Saturday, detailing the minister’s intention to take legal action against the person behind a Facebook account called “Baas Kruger.” The account has a large following, with over 341 000 people following it.
Kubayi alleged that the person behind the account continued to cyberbully her by making false claims and spreading them, and driving a narrative about her.
The minister said she had no choice but to take an extraordinary step to protect her dignity and reputation and hold the individual responsible for the disinformation accountable.
Kubayi added that she had appealed to the Facebook account holder several times to stop the disinformation, and those appeals were ignored.
The disinformation campaign began with a doorstep interview by SABC journalist Samkele Maseko at an ANC Siyanqoba Rally in the Eastern Cape.
In the statement, the department said a clip of her responding to Maseko’s question about the March and March movement being “squeezed like cranberries” has been circulating on social media. The department said the minister never said those words and attributed them to Maseko.
“The phrase was used by the journalist in question. Minister Kubayi did not utter these words, and any claim suggesting otherwise is false and misleading,” read the statement.
The minister said the alleged disinformation campaign would not go unchallenged, as she remains accountable for her own statements, and attributing words she did not say to her was unacceptable.
Minister Kubayi to pay for her own legal costs
Following the initial statement, people raised concerns about who would fund the minister’s legal costs. In response, the department clarified that the minister would pursue legal action in her personal capacity. It said Kubayi understood the provisions of the State Attorney Policy, which does not provide State-funded legal representation for matters of this nature.
“Accordingly, the legal costs associated with the proceedings will not be paid by the state,” the statement read.
The department added that it would communicate further details about the minister’s legal proceedings once the court papers have been filed.
Baas Kruger Facebook account responds to Minister Kubayi’s legal proceedings
The person behind the Baas Kruger account seems unfazed by the minister’s planned legal proceedings. In a Facebook post on Saturday, the account denied ever saying the minister would squeeze people like cranberry juice.
The account holder also emphasised that they were very careful about what they post because they are experienced and have faced many threats of legal action. The account also said the minister had no case against them.
“She’s learning a lesson she’ll take to her grave, and it’s also sending a strong message to any other arrogant government official who thinks they can boss us around. We’ll show you flames and squeeze you like cranberry juice,” read part of the social media post.
