Former Western Cape premier Peter Marais was let off the hook in the Cape High Court on Wednesday on a sexual harassment civil claim brought against him by former provincial social services minister Freda Adams.
Adams had claimed a total of R2 421 342 from Marais for sexual harassment and defamation.
Instead she was awarded a paltry R2 000. She also brought a defamation claim for R500 000 against former Cape Town mayor Gerald Morkel, but was awarded only R35 000.
Judge Anton Veldhuizen said Adams had been unable to prove the sexual harassment claim to the satisfaction of the court.
However, instead of dismissing the claim outright, the judge ruled ”absolution from the instance”, which left the door open for Adams to pursue the claim a second time, if able to produce better evidence.
On a R1-million defamation claim against Marais, the court awarded her R40 000. The court rejected her second defamation claim against Marais for R125 000, but instead awarded Adams R2 000 for injuria, which she claimed in the alternative.
For her R500 000 defamation claim against Morkel, Adams was awarded R35 000.
Marais had defended and counter-claimed a total of R2,5-million in two of the defamation actions, and was awarded a total of R40 000.
Because the claims awarded against him amounted to R42 000, he has to pay Adams the difference of R2 000.
Adams thus collects R37 000 — R2 00 from Marais and R35 000 from Morkel.
Adams’ injuria claim was based on an insult hurled at her, that she was not a woman and should not have been one, and that she was a pain in the backside.
Her one defamation claim stemmed from Marais’ remark on radio that Adams had been kicked out of the Cabinet.
Her defamation claim against Morkel stemmed from his remark at a press briefing that she was waging a sick vendetta against Marais, and that she ought to go for treatment. – Sapa