Malema faces charges over ‘Freedom Charter’ land claim comments

This morning Economic Freedom Fighters’ leader Julius Malema is appearing in the Newcastle Magistrates’ Court, where he faces two charges of contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956. The charges were laid by civil rights group AfriForum, after Malema called on EFF supporters to occupy land in 2014 at the party’s elective conference in Bloemfontein.

Malema said at the conference that: “We are going to occupy the unoccupied land because we need the land. For us to eat‚ we must have the land. For us to work‚ we must have the land ... I come from Seshego. If there is unoccupied land‚ we will go and occupy the land with my branch. You must go and do the same in the branch where you come from.”

EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi called on supporters to protest outside the court today, in support of their commander in chief.

Ndlozi on Sunday said that Malema had been charged with an “apartheid-era law” which was used to imprison many liberation fighters including Rivonia triallists.

“Twenty-two years after democracy‚ the ANC government says the CIC [commander-in-chief] Julius Malema has contravened this act by saying to our people‚ on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the Freedom Charter‚ they have the right to occupy land wherever they choose.

“This is a direct quotation from the Freedom Charter which state that ‘all shall have the right to occupy land wherever they choose’. In essence the CIC Julius Malema is charged for speaking about the Freedom Charter‚” Ndlozi said.

This is a developing story.

	Avantika Seeth Multimedia journalist City Press p: +27 11 713 9001 w: www.citypress.co.za  e: avantika.seeth@citypress.co.za
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