Penny Sparrow matter postponed
Penny Sparrow made a brief appearance in the Umzinto Magistrate’s Court yesterday to face a charge of crimen injuria following her disparaging comments on Facebook about black beachgoers after a New Year’s Eve party. A News24 report says the matter was postponed to 12 September to allow her new attorney of record to consult with her, and to allow the state an opportunity to furnish the defence with the contents of the docket.
She will be represented by Legal Aid attorney Elaine MacDonald. Among other things, she wrote on Facebook: ‘From now I shall address the blacks of South Africa as monkeys as I see the cute little wild monkeys do the same, pick drop and litter,’ Sparrow added. In June, the Umzinto Equality Court ordered Sparrow to pay R150 000 to the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation for her racist Facebook rant.
A court official confirmed Sparrow was planning to appeal the fine in the civil matter, notes a TimesLIVE report. Her daughter‚ Charmaine Cowie‚ told media after the fine was imposed in June that her mother was 'officially' homeless and was living with her. She also said that Sparrow‚ a divorced pensioner‚ did not have the money to pay for fine. The court ruled that Sparrow had 60 days to comply and pay the fine. She was also restrained from publishing any hate speech in the future. The civil case was brought by the ANC.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
