Former president Jacob Zuma’s bid to appeal against the high court ruling that he had defamed former tourism minister Derek Hanekom by calling him a “known enemy agent”, has been dismissed by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) without it being heard.

The SCA ruled that Zuma’s application for leave to appeal against the decision given by judge Dhaya Pillay was “dismissed with costs on the grounds that there was no reasonable prospect of success in an appeal and there is no other compelling reason an appeal should be heard”...