Gareth Cliff has won\u00a0his court case against M-Net, following his\u00a0dismissal from reality show Idols.<\/p>\n
Cliff\u2019s removal from the show followed\u00a0a backlash on Twitter after he commented on a Facebook post by KwaZulu-Natal realtor Penny Sparrow.<\/p>\n
Sparrow had called\u00a0black beachgoers monkeys.\u00a0Cliff then tweeted: \u201cPeople really don\u2019t understand free speech at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
The High Court in Johannesburg decided on 29 January that Cliff\u00a0must be reinstated as a judge on Idols with immediate effect.<\/p>\n
“This is a contractual dispute. The contractual relationship has to be reinstated to what it was. M-Net will pay costs to Gareth Cliff,” Nicholls told a packed court.<\/p>\n
Cliff\u2019s lawyer Dali Mpofu and M-Net\u2019s legal representative Wim Trengove originally presented their arguments in the high court on 26 January.<\/p>\n
Mpofu argued that his axing was the worst form of racism, while M-Net’s Wim Trengove tried to convince the court that the broadcaster never had a contract with Cliff.<\/p>\n
Cliff wanted his job back and R25 million for defamation and breach of contract.<\/p>\n
Auditions for Idols 2016 will begin at The Playhouse in Durban on 30 January.<\/p>\n
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