Guma, Nkaigwa smoke peacepipe in P2m suit
Mpho Mokwape | Friday March 2, 2018 16:50
The pair, who was this week tipped to go off at each other in a court battle where Guma was accusing Nkaigwa of defaming him in a Facebook status, decided to let bygones be bygones.
In a court order issued this week, the two Members of Parliament (MPs) agreed to settle the matter in terms of the rule of the High Court.
This was subject to the agreement that Nkaigwa was to tender an apology to Guma.
“The defendant shall deliver an unconditional written apology to the plaintiff in respect of the publication of the statement being the subject of this action,” read the order.
The consent of the parties also included the costs where they agreed that each party should bear its own costs.
The settlement between the parties follows back-to-back court appearances emanating from a P2 million lawsuit instituted by Guma in which he accused his fellow MP of defaming him by uttering unpleasant words in Facebook in 2016.
Guma, in his lawsuit, was claiming that Nkaigwa had allegedly used defamatory and insulting words, which were written and published on Facebook.
His contention was that the publication was made with the intention to humiliate, degrade, insult and to impair his dignity and his self-esteem.
“It was humiliating to say to an MP that he was dishonest, corrupt and a thief whose political campaigns are funded from proceeds of corruption or financial crime. The post was an aggression upon my personality rights, self-esteem and feelings, as a result (I) was humiliated and aggrieved,” read his documents.
He had alleged that on or about April 22, 2016, Nkaigwa published a Facebook post to humiliate and degrade him. Guma stated that the Facebook defamatory statements contained the following matters:
“Guma can only cheat those who don’t know him. Jang dijo betsho, le madi lea tsee le dino le dinwe. Madi a bogodu a tshwanetse go jewa akere gaa huhulelwa. Kalanga.s and voters of Francistown South are not cheap as Guma thinks. You can ride them but never ever dream that they will vote Bdp. It pains to see how Bdp continue to undermine the integrity of our brothers and sisters. Vote Udc. The devil and its Bdp agents will be humbled tomorrow. Be blessed God has given us this one. Money is the root cause of all evil and God has exposed it and whatever is exposed is rendered powerless.(sic)”
Guma was seeking P1.5m in damages for defamation and damages for injuries in the sum of P500,000 with an interest thereon at the rate of 10% per annum from the date of the judgement to the date of full payment and costs of suit.
However, on the other hand Nkaigwa has been adamant that he did nothing wrong to Guma and intended to fight him in court.
He had been relentless to give into Guma’s demands with the argument that the latter has no reputation to cry about and further denied any knowledge of the alleged Facebook post daring him to prove his allegations.
In one of his filings of his plea dated August 18, 2016 the G/north MP rather accused Guma of having no moral fibre and being dishonest.
“He is currently a subject of criminal investigation by the financial crime agency and other law enforcement in relation to his company and tax evasion charges,” read the documents.