QWELANE RESCISSION HEARING DATE SET

Disgraced journalist Jon Qwelane will have the opportunity later this month to rescind the hate speech ruling against him.

The homophobic Qwelane will appear in court on the 23rd of August arguing that the ruling was unfair as he was unable to defend himself because he was in Uganda at the time.

Qwelane, who is now South Africa’s ambassador in Uganda, was sued by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) over his 2008 anti-gay article Call me names, but gay is NOT okay…, published in the Sunday Sun.

He failed to acknowledge the case or defend himself and, in May, was found guilty of hate speech, ordered to apologise and fined R 100,000.

The rescission hearing had been set for last month but it was postponed to allow Qwelane’s lawyers more time to consider the SAHRC’s papers opposing the rescission.

If Qwelane succeeds in rescinding the ruling, the SAHRC would have to re-file the suit against him and pursue the matter from the beginning.