South Africa News

Julius Malema and EFF in court

This means Zuma can now seek to appeal the R10 million personal costs order against him. In court opposing the matter brought by Zuma, was Malema who has also applied to challenge the Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956. The North Gauteng High Court in Tshwane has granted former President Jacob Zuma the right to personally intervene in the state capture litigation.

Members of the EFF painted Madiba Street red. The street was closed around the North Gauteng High Court. Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters were picketing outside the court in support of their leader, Julius Malema, who is challenging the Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956.

The matter of the constitutional validity of the Riotous Assembly Act of 1956 has been postponed and will now be heard on the 12th of December 2018.

Malema is facing separate charges under the Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956 in the Bloemfontein and Newcastle magistrates’ courts for his calls on EFF supporters to illegally occupy land.

Julis Malema

Represented by Advocate Thembeka Ngcukaitobi, the EFF argued that the ANC government has used that apartheid legislation to charge Malema. The party was also picketing for the other matter by President Jacob Zuma which the EFF is opposing.

The first application was made by the EFFs president Julius Malema who is challenging the constitutional validity of the Riotous Assembly Act of 1956.

The second application, involving other political parties, was seeking to challenge former president Jacob Zuma’s application for leave to appeal a court ruling that orders him to personally pay the legal costs for trying to block the release of the state of capture report by former public protector Thuli Madonsela.

Zuma was seeking to appeal that he personally pay an estimated R10 million. On the other hand, the EFF said in a statement on Wednesday that the Riotous Assemblies Act is apartheid legislation “enacted to fight the Freedom Charter”.

It said the act was the basis of the famous treason trial of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and others. The party added that the ANC government used that apartheid legislation to charge Malema, claiming that should the court rule the act unconstitutional, Malema’s related charges would be dropped.

The EFF said it and other parties would oppose Zuma’s application to ensure the former president personally pays the costs.

“Both of these cases have huge implications for the people of South Africa. They relate to the first and seventh non-negotiable pillars of the Economic Freedom Fighters: land and the call for a corrupt free government,” said the EFF.

Source: Daily Sun