A defamation lawsuit brought by Julius Malema against Kenny Kunene has been struck off the court roll after Malema’s legal team allegedly failed to file heads of argument on the court’s electronic system within the required timeframes.
The court also ordered that the costs of the matter be paid by Malema.
The case stems from comments made by Kunene during an appearance on Podcast and Chill with MacG, which Malema claims were defamatory.
The EFF leader is seeking R1 million in damages from Kunene.
Despite the setback, Malema’s legal representatives have indicated that they intend to return the matter to court once the procedural issues that led to the case being struck off the roll have been addressed.
A matter being struck off the roll does not mean the case has been dismissed permanently. It generally means the court has removed it from the current schedule, often due to procedural non-compliance, allowing the parties to bring it back at a later stage if the necessary requirements are met.
The dispute between the two politicians is therefore expected to continue, with Malema’s legal team signalling their intention to revive the case.
