Verify before sharing, warns legal expert
A legal expert is warning people against sharing an audio recording - purportedly of Amor Vittone and the late Joost van der Westhuizen.
UKZN's Professor Robert Peacock has weighed in on the viral clip - which Vittone reportedly claims has been manipulated and parts of are fake.
A woman can be heard hurling insults at a man in the audio.
Her lawyers have since requested the full, un-edited version before any confirmation or denial can be made.
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Peacock says the onus is on the media to first verify the authenticity of the clip before deciding to circulate it or risk facing a law suit.
"The media can be liable for this, if it is indeed a false accusation. If there is any damage in terms of her reputation, that might very well be the case, there can be good cause for liable action. For the media to report this, and distinguishing the different types of media, the source must be checked and double checked," he says.
The release of the clip comes as Vittone is reportedly caught up in a legal battle for the former Springbok captain's estate.
Van der Westhuizen, who played scrumhalf when South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, lost his battle with motor neuron disease in February.