Try GOLD - Free
WhatsApp, emojis and the law: when justice gets a blue tick
Sunday Tribune
|October 26, 2025
LET’S face it: WhatsApp has become the unofficial national archive of South Africa. From birthday wishes to business deals, from gossip to government scandals, if it’s not on WhatsApp, did it even happen?
THE Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA) and the Law of Evidence are the guiding stars here, ensuring that digital communications aren't just admissible, they're scrutinised like a hawk eyeing a suspicious chicken.
(AFP)
But as our thumbs tap away, crafting messages, sending voice notes, and sprinkling emojis like confetti, a curious legal question arises: Can your WhatsApp messages land you in court or save you from it?
Gone are the days when evidence was all about dusty files, coffee-stained contracts, and witnesses who “don’t recall.”
Today, it’s about screenshots, voice notes, and that one message you sent at 02h03 that you didn’t mean to send.
South African courts, ever the pragmatic bunch, have increasingly accepted WhatsApp messages as corroborative evidence.
This story is from the October 26, 2025 edition of Sunday Tribune.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The inflation illusion: South Africans feel the financial pinch beyond the numbers
SOUTH Africans don't need a quarterly report to feel the cost-of-living crisis.
3 mins
May 10, 2026
Sunday Tribune
Sekhukhune sensing another chance to disrupt Chiefs’ CAF ambitions
SEKHUKHUNE United have already shown this season that they know how to hurt Kaizer Chiefs — and they now have another opportunity to disrupt Amakhosi's push for CAF football.
2 mins
May 10, 2026
Sunday Tribune
The Strait of Hormuz: Old oil order reaches its end as new landscape beckons
WHEN Brent crude briefly crossed $120 (R1954) a barrel last week amid renewed Hormuz tensions and the UAE's exit from OPEC, market reactions suggested something beyond just another cyclical oil shock.
5 mins
May 10, 2026
Sunday Tribune
Holly Rey launches new jewellery brand with hero piece dedicated to mom
SOUTH African singer and songwriter Holly Rey is expanding her creative empire, trading the microphone (just for a bit) for the jeweller’s bench with the official launch of her jewellery brand, Rya Atelier.
2 mins
May 10, 2026
Sunday Tribune
Zulu Royal House dismisses claims over king’s health
THE office of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has dismissed as false reports circulating on social media and other platforms alleging that the Zulu monarch had been rushed to hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).
2 mins
May 10, 2026
Sunday Tribune
Top 10 luxury resort destinations for 2026: where high-end travel meets paradise
THE old saying, “cheap is expensive”, holds true, especially in the realm of luxury travel.
2 mins
May 10, 2026
Sunday Tribune
Russia celebrates Victory Day
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that his soldiers in Ukraine were fighting an “aggressive force” backed by all of Nato and described his war goals as “just”, in a combative address to the annual Victory Day parade on Red Square.
2 mins
May 10, 2026
Sunday Tribune
Sinha's thrilling legal drama set for release
THE movie System, starring Sonakshi Sinha and Jyotika, is set to drop on Prime Video on May 22.
1 mins
May 10, 2026
Sunday Tribune
Sars and NCC sign MoU to enhance compliance
THE National Consumer Commission (NCC) and the SA Revenue Service (Sars) have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance consumer protection against the proliferation of non-compliant goods entering the South African market.
1 mins
May 10, 2026
Sunday Tribune
KZN learner to represent SA at world debating champs
PIETERMARITZBURG Girls’ High School learner, Iminathi Bacela, has been selected for the South African National Debating team that will represent the country at the upcoming World Schools’ Debating Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.
2 mins
May 10, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size