Basetsana Kumalo has opened up about suing Drum magazine for defamation and reputational damages with costs‚ claiming that she is doing it for everyone who’s had their name tarnished by the publication

During an interview with Power FM‚ the media mogul revealed why she is taking legal action against Drum magazine‚ explaining that “what they have published is malicious lies.”

“I have to take a legal battle with Drum magazine‚ because‚ quite frankly‚ what they have published is malicious lies‚ it’s not true‚ it’s a figment of their imagination that I am apparently obsessed with liposuction. That I have been lying to the nation‚ that I do not run these 10km every morning‚ and I do not box‚ I don’t train‚” she began by saying‚ before pointing out that the local publication claimed that she goes in “every three months to go get fat sucked out.”

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Basetsana dragged the magazine to the high court on Thursday night in a bid to obtain an urgent high court interdict to stop them from publishing what she termed a ‘defamatory‚ untrue and malicious’ story.

“There was a full court sitting at night on Thursday [with] my husband and I to interdict them for two things; number one — a picture of my son‚ whose identity we’ve protected for 11 years‚ was online and it was horrific.”

“They failed to actually to put it to the nation that I and my husband did indeed win the interdict and they were told to remove the image of my son with immediate effect online‚ which they did‚” she explained.

She further revealed that she got a vote of confidence from the judge‚ who told her that it is well within her rights to institute legal proceedings against the magazine‚ saying that she has “every right to fully sue‚ because what they have done is wrong‚ and it is just unacceptable.”

She further revealed that she was offended by the botched-lipo report‚ given that she works “very hard to build a brand equity.”

“We trade on our name‚ and therefore if somebody is going to put reputational damage on that‚ and make you a liar across the nation... for me‚ it’s quite offensive.”

Speaking of why it was important for her to take it to the lengths that she has‚ she explained that while she might be a public figure and that “everybody can take their shots’’ at her‚ she chooses her battles wisely and that this one was worth taking up — for not only herself‚ but for everyone who’s had their names tarnished.

’’I’m not just doing it for Basetsana Kumalo. I have the resources to do it‚ number one. Many people don’t have that. So I’m also doing it for everybody out there‚ public figure or not‚ that nobody has the right to tarnish your good name‚ your good reputation that you work hard to build.”

“So‚ for me‚ it’s a collective fight that I’m taking forward against Drum‚ because every now and again‚ what they are very good at is saying I’m sorry on page 99‚ and nobody sees that.”