JOHANNESBURG – Former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s lawyer Dario Milo said they were confident the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) would not succeed in its application to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The EFF’s application for leave to appeal an earlier ruling that ordered it to retract defamatory statements against Manuel and pay him R500,000 was dismissed by the High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Two months ago, the party accused Manuel of corruption and nepotism in a statement against his involvement in the appointment of the new Sars commissioner.
Judge Elias Matojane found in his that the EFF’s grounds of appeal lacked the prospects of success.
He added that the party had insisted on advancing its public interest defence even when it knew the statements against Manuel were false.
However, the EFF was confident that the Supreme Court of Appeal would find in its favour, while Milo disagreed.
Matojane also said the EFF’s refusal to apologise to Manuel as ordered by an earlier court was out of spite.
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