george nangale others vs sam kasulwa others 1998 tzhc 2029 16 november 1998

TN T H E H I G H C O U R T OF TAN7.ANTA D A R FS B A L A A M D I S T R I C T RF.GTSTRY AT. PAR JS._BAr,AAM C I V I L C A S E NO. 14 3 OF 1 9 9 8 MR. G E O R G E NANGALF. A N D 2 O T H E R S ............... Pf.ATNTTFF ? ’ VERSUS S A M K A S U L W A A N D 4 O T H E R S .......................... D E F E N D A N T S J u n G F. M E N T KAT.F.GEV A . J. v> ** • :y T h e pl’ ainti f f s .. G e o r g e N a n n i e (1st P l a i n t i f f ) , Mrs. Nangale Z. G. ( 2nd P l a i n t i f f ) and N y a n z u l a o r i g i n s T a n z a n i a T.t.d t\a T. mks T r a i n in-j C e n t r e (3rd p l a i n t i f f ) sued j o i n t l y and seve r a l l y , Sam Kasnkwa . Jim Godwin, E d i t o r T he Expre s s , M ed ia H o l d i n g (T) Ltd and N a t i o n a l N e w s p a p e r Ltd (1st - 5th D e f e n d a n t s r e s p e c t i v e l y ) for d e f a m a t i o n , c l a i m i n g a m o n g other s, 'Wal D a m a g e s of S h i l l i n g s 500,000..000/ = ib) I n t e r e s t o n (a) at 40% pe. a n n u m from M a r c h 1997 ho the d a t e Of judgem ent . , (<■) I n t e r e s t o n the d e c r e t a l s u m at court, r a t e f r o m d a t e j u d g e m e n t u n t i l p a y m e n t in full". The d e f e n d a n t s h a v i n g f a i l e d t o , f i l e their w r i t t e n st a t e m e n t of defence-; ( t h o u g h served) the p l a i n t i f f s w e r e a l l o w e d to p r o v e t h e i r c l a i m s e x

p a r t e b y a f f i d a v i t h e n c e the present judgement . Tn s u p p o r t of thei r c l a i m s the plaint iff s u b m i t t e d two a f f i d a v i t s d e p o n e d by 1st and 2nd p l a i n t i f f s . Tn t h e i r p l a i n t , th e p l a i n t i f f c l a i m e d that o n o r a b o u t 201!) F e b r u a r y 1 997 at p a g e s 1 a n d 2 of " t h e E x p r e s s " i s s u e No. 40 6 T S S N O R 56 - 398S", th e d e f e n d a n t s j o i n t l y ahd s e v e r a l l y , f a l s e l y an d m a l i c i o u s l y prepare.) f o r publication, edited, printed »n.l r i r . M . l a t m l a n article entitled, •Ov.,r 1 , 0 0 0 l u r e d a s ’ t,ondon B e . k o n * ' f o o l i s h ' a n d w h o s e c o n t e n t s , a m o n g o h e r s ''’V i n o for lu re - H u n d r e d of y o u n g T a n s a n i a n s a r e r e p o r t « fa ng fnr -• of b e t t e r f u t u r e p r o m l t t d b y c n m p u t «, n.l us n« in B r i t a i n . B u t o n c e t h f r e , i h e v yet the — b a r a a i n e d fo r" . M , , T ^ri.-,.a n ; The c o n s p i r a c y a l l e g e d ^ revolve* a.ound a I""-*"'** c o i m l e , i d e n t i f i e d as Mr. and Mrs. N a n g a l « , w h o run a s i n d e n t p l a c e m e n t p r o g r a m m e in D a r es S a l a a m on b e h a f a b e r k s h i r e b a s e d C o m p u t e r t r a i n i n g institute.. t be f u t u r e __ •• ..4 itre ei s;*&'*- B u s i n e s s C o

l l e g e " The relevant article ds A n n . $to t h e pl ai n t . T h e p l a i n t i f f clan,, that "the t e n o r , content, roantfer of h e a d i n g an d p o s i t i o n in the newspaper a s w e l l as i t s a c c o m p a n y i n g r a r t o o n i r d e p i c t i o n c l e a r l y indicate malidB a i m e d a t p o r t r a y i n g (directly., in i n n m e n d o an d by i u x t a p o s if,ion)' t h e p l a i n t if f s l a s schemers, criminals, c o n s p i r a t o r s , > i l d o e r s , t o t a l l y perjured, s w i n d l e r s w h o are u n f i t t o h o l d a n y r e s p o n s i b l $ J § f f i c e as well as i n c a p a b l e of car r y i n u o u t t h e i r d u t i e s a n d | | r o b j e c t s a s contained in t h e .r m e m o r a n d a o f A s s o c i a t i o n be c o u n t e d a m o n g a n d M e r e f o r e c a n n o t t he honest, m e m b e r s of t h e i r f l p p e c t ive societ ies" , w h i c h pict u r e th e y d i s a s s o c i a t e t h e m s e l v e s | g o m h e n c e th e c l a i m for d a m a g e s to make good the otherwise posit||e i m a g e of t h e i r n a m e s w h i c h stand t arni s h e d . Having c a r e f u l l y c o n S i d j r f i J t h e pla in t and its a n n e x t m e s , a n d t h e a f f i d a v i t s 'filled .'in | | | p o r t t h e r e o f th e c o u r t is of unanimous decision t h a t t h e S j f i c l e is d e f a m a t o r y a n d

fa l se . I n d e e d ^ t h e e X C e t ^ t S % i | 1| a r t i c l e already quoted above, and o t h e r parts o f t h e s a i d a t t i f j j ' p a i n t the plai nt if fs, at t h e least, as c o n m e n , w h o l u r e s c e n t s to p a r t w i t h t h e i r m o n e y for services w h i c h a r e e i t h e r n o n e x i s t e n t or b e l o w th e s t a n d a r d s - iwllll5 requ ired and .X|>.nt*1. And t h i s can furth.r he <li*".er ,r‘ * other e x c e r p t s of that a r t i c l e whirl, run as under, " T h e N a n g a l « S a n d t h e c ol l » 9 « a r e c h a r g i n g t h e i r s t u d e n t s 1600 sterling (1.6 m i l l i o n ) in t u i t i o n fees per year, but the G o o d Samaritan ’ swear; t h a t the h i g h e s t a c o m p u t e r t r a i n i n g c e n t r e :“ c.an c h a r g e a n y w h e r e in t h e UK is 7 0 0 sterling (700,000/=) a year. At that, w h a t the best c o m p u t e r school charge for a year s c o u r s e of instruction is e x a c t l y w h a t t h e N.,..gales c h a r g e a s i n g l e p r o s p e c t i v e s t u d e n t ip " C o n s u l t a t i o n .««" a l o n e ......... .................. *j* ............ , , . N a n g a l e a „,l w i f e t h r o u g h t h & r links t r a i n i n g c e n t r e h o u s e d .n s i n g l e studio at t h e SlDO t t & e l along Bibi T i t i M o h a m e d R o a d b o a s t of b e i n g a b l e to p r o v S e t r a

i n i n g o p p n , t n n i t ,e s a n d j o b s ... t h e IJKM . • u m nt i f f r ' esi ftBin anrl rospoct*. r*inong clearly, from the above, t h q g p l a i n t u t s «« t h e ordinary m e m b e r s of our1$ocl«ty m u s t have b e e n l o w e r e d w i t h a c o n s e q u e n c e o f b e i n g s h u n n e ^ a w a y f or b e i n g tainted with unreliable, dubious, and u n t r u s t w o r t h y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s let a l o n e heinc l o o k e d u p o n as c o n m e n . ‘ S F l o w i n g from that, their business would naturally have been affected for n o p o t e n t i a l student, w o u l d a g a i n r i s k d e a l i n g w i t h a charatiter o f t h e a d v e r t i s e d type. J'. - Js'r ' That settled, ne § w e /Should p r o c e e d on what, s h o u l d be r e w a r d e d a s r e c o m p e n s * or & e lost f a c e a n d b u s i n e s s . T h e olairit.iffs c l a i m 5 0 0 , # , 0 0 ^ = apart, f r o m I n t e r e s t . The gentlemen a s s e s s o r s have Ball • » • « » « varying V i e w s in t e r m s of q u a n t u m . T h e y h a v e p r o p o s a l sh§ ‘8 0 » | g 3 0 * and 25m. T h e y h a v e all e x p r e s s e d v i e w s that the extent b f the.Plaint i f f s ' t a r n i s h e d n a m e d e s e r v e to be e q u a l l y c o m p e n s a t e d . T h a v e c a r e f u l l y c o n s i d e r e d / t h e i r viewr; and w e i g h e d the s a m e w i t h the s t a

t u s of t h e p l a i n t i f f s , t h e potent ia'I in b u s i n e s s and t h e e x t e n t of t h e area: c o v e t e d by, the s a i d d e f a m a t o r y p u b l i c a t i o n a n d T h a v e c o m e to s e t t l e o n a f i g u r e s o m e h o w b e l o w the p r o p o s i t i o n s o p i n e d b y th e gentlemen a s s e s s o r s . No doubt, t h e 1st? p l a i n t i f f :.is a - p e r s o n of s o u n d s t a t u s as portlayed in h i s a f f i d a v i t (a h o l d e r of a first, d e g r e e in Agricultural Engineering, a m a s t e r of s c i e n c e d e g r e e in r e n e w a b l e E n e r g y arid M a s t e r of B u s i n e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , a Technical Manager in E q u i t y i n v e s t m e n t M a n a g e m e n t Ltd, M e m b e r of B o a r d of D i r e c t o r s of T T B . an d h a d h e l d v a r i o u s k e y p o s i t i o n s , in llmoja wa V i i a n a (n e w ) , K i Io m b e r o S u g a r c o y , D i r e c t o r of th e 3rd p l a i n t i f f ) but h i s h a s not e s t a b l i s h e d h o w he re i c h e d at;. shs. 2 0 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 /= of his worttmess. A p a r t f r o m t h e s a i d 1st P l a i n t i f f , the 2nd a n d 3rd p l a i n t i f f s h a v e no t b e e n s u f f i c i e n t l y p r o v e d to h a v e a r e k n o w n focal attra c t i o n both locally and internationally if w e p u t a s i d e t h e link in b u s i n e s s w h i

c h w a s s u b j e c t of Hie a t t a c k by the relevant, libellous article. Neither was evidence sufficiently e s t a b l i s h e d w h i c h s h o w t h a t t h e 3rd p l a i n t i f f h as l os t b u s i n e s s potential to a t u n e of shs. 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 / = c l a i m e d as pe r affidavit a n d so is the c a s e w i t h - 2nd D e f e n d a n t . •* '•••- ' s*Jm\ All in all, I am sat i af i ed Jj^iiat the d a m a g e c a u s e d by the li.beJ.lbuR a r t i c l e to all the three p l a i n t i f f s c a n be a t o n e d by a l i b e r a l s u m to a t u n e of ten million s h i l l i n g s w h i c h is h e r e b y awarded. As o b s e r v e d b y the g e n t l e m e n a s s e s s o r s the p l a i n t i f f s a r e a l s o e n t i t l e d to i n t e r e s t but, n o t c o m m e n c i n g f r o m th e d a t e when th e d e f a m a t o r y a r t i c l e w a s p u b l i s h e d but rather from the date of j u d g e m e n t , a n d t h e r a t e is n ot 40% as c l a i m e d (whose b a s i s w a s not e s t a b l i s h e d ) b u t s h o u l d be at the r u l i n g B a n k rate. Judgement is e n t e r e d in f a v o u r of the p l a i n t i f f s in the t e r m s as i n d i c a t e d a b o v e w i t h cos ts . (I,. R . K a l e y e v a )

JUDGE 1 6 \ 1 1 \98 Delivered in t h e p r e s e n c e of t h e pl a int i f f s (1st and 2nd) arid Mr. Kalolo, t o d a y t h e 1 6 t h N o v e m b e r .. 1.998. A T D A R ER S A L A A M , (L. R. K a l e g e y a ) lifciLilQXe m h f t t L i M f t vtUnGR 5