Farmer loses SCA battle after harmful Facebook posts about lawyer following R3 million debt
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed an appeal from an aggrieved farmer, Francois Harman, who had taken to Facebook to post disparaging and inflammatory remarks against Pretoria attorney Pieter Strydom.
Strydom, who acts as an insolvency practitioner, was representing the Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) in its legal proceedings against Harman for outstanding debts.
The Land Bank and Unigro Financial Services advance loans to farmers and whenever a farmer falls in default of payment, the organisations would instruct Strydom to initiate legal proceedings to recover the debt.
The legal dispute began when Harman and his company, Redlex, secured a loan from the Land Bank but fell into arrears, ultimately leading to a lawsuit for over R4.3 million. After Redlex was liquidated in July 2019, the Land Bank, represented by Strydom, secured a judgment against Harman in May 2020 for more than R3 million plus interest.
Frustrated by the judgment and the financial toll it had taken on him, Harman resorted to social media to express his anger. His Facebook posts targeted Strydom and other officials at the Land Bank, accusing them of unethical behaviour and acting impartially.
In response to his alarming online conduct, Strydom sought a protection order against Harman, which prohibited him from further harassment or verbal abuse through electronic communication. The order was obtained in Harman's absence.

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