The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says it will not remove statements from all their media platforms nor apologise to former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel – despite a South Gauteng High Court ruling to this effect.

The Court ruled that the EFF has to pay R500 000 in damages to Manuel over a defamatory tweet published in March.

The court found comments made by the EFF about Manuel were “defamatory and false”.

However, the EFF has instructed its attorneys to appeal the judgment – which ordered the party to apologise to Manuel.

EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu says, “Once we appeal the judgment of the court,  that judgment is set aside until a different court has reached a different conclusion. So whatever the court has said doesn’t hold water until there’s been a different finding.”

“In an instance of the public protector [Busisiwe Mkhwebane] rulings and findings, it’s a different regime and disappears all together. In our case when we appeal the findings of the court are set aside and meaningless,” explains Shivambu.