Freelance journalist John Grobler has won a libel case against Namibia’s ruling Swapo party. On Friday (13 April), the party was ordered to pay Grobler 300,000 Namibian dollars (27,300 GBP) in damages in connection to defamatory statements made about him on the party’s website in September 2009. This is the first time that Swapo itself — rather than an individual party officeholder — has been held legally accountable over libelous statements made on a party platform. It is also the first time that online content has led to someone being held liable for defamation in the country.
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