POLITICS

Sisulu fails in costs bid against AfriForum - Spies

Defence minister's lawyers wanted matter heard today despite removal from roll

The Minister of Defence, Lindiwe Sisulu, was unsuccessful today in her bid to re-enroll an urgent court application by AfriForum, after AfriForum had removed the matter from the urgent court roll last week.

The matter was initially brought as an urgent application after the Minister's spokesperson had indicated to AfriForum that "600 recruits, nominated by the political parties and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform were on their way to Saldanha for military training in September".

When the Minister finally denied that military training was underway, AfriForum removed their urgent application from the court roll and re-enrolled the matter to be heard on 31 January 2011.

Sisulu's lawyers refused to accept the removal and flew all the way from Cape Town to have the matter heard today at all costs.

Judge Legodi in his judgement indicated that it was not appropriate to burden an overcrowded urgent court with an argument about who is to argue and ruled in favour of AfriForum that the matter be postponed sine die for argument on who is to pay the wasted costs.

AfriForum's legal representative welcomed Judge Legodi's ruling and said that it is a pity that Minister Sisulu insisted in the way she did, despite earlier requests by AfriForum (see attached letter) to deal with the matter in exactly the way Judge Legodi finally ordered.

Statement issued by Willie Spies, Legal Representative: AfriForum, September 14 2010

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter