Sitha Maliwa:
South African football has never been short on controversy, but the latest showdown between SAFA President Danny Jordaan and firebrand broadcaster JJ Tabane has sparked a legal inferno that’s now dominating headlines.
Jordaan has filed a multi-million-rand defamation lawsuit against Tabane after the outspoken political analyst and host of Power to Truth on eNCA referred to him as a “bloody crook” during a fiery live broadcast. The remark, made in reference to Jordaan’s ongoing legal woes, went viral almost immediately, and the fallout is now headed to court.
According to legal filings, Jordaan claims the comment was false, defamatory, and calculated to cause reputational damage, particularly at a time when he’s already under criminal investigation.
The lawsuit lands in the wake of Jordaan’s November 2024 arrest, where he, SAFA CFO Gronie Hluyo, and businessman Trevor Neethling were charged with fraud and theft amounting to R1.3 million. The allegations include the unauthorised use of SAFA funds to secure private security and PR services.
While Jordaan has denied wrongdoing, he says Tabane’s public characterisation of him as a criminal amounts to trial by television.
This isn’t Tabane’s first public misstep. The seasoned media figure has found himself in hot water on multiple occasions for controversial statements.
In 2022, he was forced to publicly apologise to the Democratic Alliance (DA) after claiming the party had supported apartheid. The DA condemned the statement as inflammatory and historically inaccurate. Under pressure, Tabane issued a rare on-air apology, admitting that his comments were “misleading and regrettable.”
And earlier, he faced criticism for claiming that ANC veteran Mavuso Msimang had joined ActionSA, a claim Msimang flatly denied. Though Tabane later corrected himself, the incident damaged his journalistic credibility.
Now, with Jordaan’s lawsuit threatening serious legal and financial consequences, Tabane once again finds himself at the centre of a storm of his own making.
As the lawsuit unfolds, it raises pressing questions about the limits of media freedom, especially in politically charged environments. While Tabane’s defenders claim he speaks truth to power, critics argue that his inflammatory rhetoric routinely crosses ethical boundaries.
Legal experts suggest this could become a landmark defamation case in South Africa, one that tests the fragile balance between the right to free expression and the right to personal dignity.
“This isn’t just about Jordaan or Tabane,” said one media analyst. “It’s about setting boundaries – in journalism, in politics, and in public discourse.”
With reputations, careers, and perhaps even press freedom on the line, Jordaan vs Tabane is shaping up to be more than just a court battle – it’s a collision of power, ego, and accountability in the public eye. – @NewsSA_Online
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