{
  "id": 19086644,
  "title": "Kubayi takes on ‘Baas Kruger’ in court over alleged disinformation campaign",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/kubayi-takes-on-baas-kruger-in-court-over-alleged-disinformation",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T04:17:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/kubayi-takes-on-baas-kruger-court-alleged-disinformation-campaign/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has initiated legal proceedings against a social media user identified as \"Baas Kruger\" for allegedly disseminating false and defamatory statements regarding her, according to the Justice Ministry. This legal action comes in response to a sustained campaign of cyberbullying and disinformation that has damaged Kubayi's reputation. Palesa Rammitlwa, a spokesperson for the minister, stated that the Ministry has exhausted all other options and taken this extraordinary step to protect Kubayi's dignity and reputation. The dispute was initially sparked by a clip of Kubayi responding to a journalist's question about the March and March movement being \"squeezed like cranberries.\" However, Kubayi did not utter these words; the claim suggesting otherwise is false and misleading, as per Rammitlwa. Baas Kruger responded to Kubayi's legal threats by asserting that the journalist did not quote her as saying she would \"squeeze people like cranberry juice.\" In a Facebook post, Baas Kruger claimed to be careful about what they post, having faced numerous legal threats before. They also alleged that Kubayi is currently facing other legal actions.",
  "summary": "According to the Justice Ministry, the account named \"Baas Kruger\" has made serious false allegations against her on multiple occasions",
  "key_points": [
    "Justice Minister Kubayi files lawsuit against social media user Baas Kruger.",
    "Alleged disinformation campaign damages Kubayi's reputation.",
    "Claim: Kubayi said she would \"squeeze people like cranberry juice.\""
  ],
  "editors_take": "The minister's decision to pursue litigation signals an escalation in the fight against online disinformation as government officials increasingly turn to the courts to defend their personal reputations.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}