JOHANNESBURG, January 29 (ANA) – A joyful Gareth Cliff stepped out of the South Gauteng High Court with a smile on his face after the court ruled in his favour on Friday, ordering that he be reinstated as a judge on SA Idols.
“We are thrilled about the outcome, we will study the judgement from here and will let you know further at a press conference tomorrow [Saturday],” Cliff told reporters outside court.
His lawyer Eric Mabuza said the legal team had confidence in their case and said Judge Caroline Nicholls had highlighted the importance of human rights.
“This case showed that this was a travesty of justice. Everyone is equal before the law, it also indicates the importance of human rights…we do not have blacks’ human rights and whites’ human rights,” Mabuza said.
He added that Cliff would be at the Idols auditions when they got underway on the February 3.
“Pre-auditions are taking place in Durban this weekend, not the actual auditions. Cliff will be at the auditions on February 3,” he said.
Nicholls ruled that a contract existed between M-Net and Cliff and instructed the pay channel to reinstate Cliff on an interim basis.
M-Net had terminated Cliff’s employment after he posted a comment on social media, which suggested that former estate agent Penny Sparrow’s racist rant was part of freedom of speech. Sparrow had earlier posted a comment on social media calling black people on Durban’s beaches “monkeys”.
Idols pre-auditions start in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday.
– African News Agency (ANA)
