Gareth Cliff\u2019s lawyers will not pursue a R25 million defamation lawsuit against M-Net.<\/p>\n
This is according to at least two news agencies, including SA Breaking News<\/a>, and Jacaranda News<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cliff won\u00a0his contractual case against the TV production company, following his\u00a0dismissal from reality show Idols.<\/p>\n His 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 however, that Cliff\u00a0must be reinstated as a judge on Idols with immediate effect.<\/p>\n Cliff had also sought R25 million for defamation of his character. His legal team said that they will observe the pay channel’s behaviour, ‘before progressing on any further legal action’.<\/p>\n Speaking at a press conference following his case win on Friday, as reported on by Channel24<\/a><\/strong>, Cliff said \u201cthe show must go on\u201d, referring to Idols \u2013 which he plans to be a part of for the coming season.<\/p>\n The rest of the court case depends on the \u201chand of friendship extended to M-Net\u201d, said Cliff. \u201cIf they do the same, we\u2019ll reconsider the case’.<\/p>\n Cliff\u2019s attorney Eric Mabuza said: \u201cWe\u2019re extending a hand of friendship, saying bygones be bygones\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe still have that part of the defamation still hanging, so we\u2019ll be monitoring their conduct from now on and it will be depended on how they behave whether we proceed with the other part of our case.\u201d<\/p>\n Gareth Cliff wins legal case against M-Net<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on Gareth Cliff<\/h3>\n