Jackie Phamotse, a writer who fell from grace, has been handed a two-year house arrest sentence alongside a fine of R30,000, with the alternative being a 10-month imprisonment.
Phamotse was convicted of crimen injuria and criminal defamation after she made false claims about Basetsana Kumalo and her husband, Romeo, in a 2018 tweet, suggesting their involvement in a fictitious sex tape with a young rapper.
Additionally, Phamotse authored the book ‘I Tweet what I Like: So…sue Me!’, a decision that led to legal repercussions when the Kumalos took legal action against her, culminating in her criminal conviction.
The Kumalos, at their peak, were celebrated figures in South Africa’s social elite.
Basetsana Kumalo, crowned ‘Miss South Africa’ in 1994, also achieved first runner-up status at the ‘Miss World’ pageant that year.
Her spouse, Romeo Kumalo, is a distinguished businessman with a Masters in Commerce and an Executive Management Certificate from the Harvard Business School in the US and WITS University, respectively.
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