The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) said on Monday it successfully obtained a Johannesburg high court interdict against Shane Cooper, Yusuf Ismail, the South African Debate Initiative, Titon Arc Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Loving Life Television and the Pit Bull Special Victims Unit South Africa.
The order prevents the publication, dissemination or republication of defamatory statements, false allegations, posts, memes, comments, video clips or sound clips targeting the NSPCA and its members.
The NSPCA said it took the legal route after a series of interviews conducted by director of South African Debate Initiative Yusuf Ismail with Titon Arc founder Shane Cooper, initially on January 29.
There were also interviews involving Scott Balson of Loving Life. Eight interviews were published allegedly containing false and defamatory statements directed at the NSPCA.
The NSPCA said during these interviews baseless allegations were made, including labelling the NSPCA as the “mafia of animal welfare”. The interviews were about the treatment of dogs and, in particular, pit bulls in South Africa.
In terms of the order, the six are prohibited from sharing recorded interviews that contain defamatory content, as outlined in the court order.
The six were ordered to remove publications related to the NSPCA within 10 days from the date of the court order. They were also prohibited from republishing any statements that promote or encourage others to publicise defamatory content about the NSPCA.
“The NSPCA emphasises that while freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it is not without limitations. The right to express oneself should not infringe upon the rights of others or be used to disseminate false and defamatory information,” the NSPCA said.
NSPCA executive director Marcelle Meredith said the false accusations could undermine the organisation’s ability to fulfil its mission.
TimesLIVE
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