Malema set to appear in Newcastle court

The leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, is set to appear at the Magistrate’s Court in Newcastle today, reports Newcastle Advertiser.

Malema is being charged with various counts of violence that contravenes the Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956, and on land expropriation charges.

ALSO READ: EFF rallies supporters to attend Malema’s KZN land grab court appearance

When Malema was in Madadeni in 2016, he claimed that white people did not have ownership of South Africa’s land.

“If we say that South Africa belongs to whites too, it means we are defeating what our forefathers were fighting for.”

A large number EFF supporters are expected to make their way to the KZN court, said KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Vusi Khoza.

“We are hoping for between 3,000 and 10,000 people, but you never can tell. We will also use the opportunity as an [election] rally. [Malema] will address the crowd following his appearance,” said Khoza.

“By supporting him, we show that we support the cause he is fighting for, which is expropriation of land without compensation of any available land. It is something that we are not apologetic about. What makes us all upset is that an [apartheid-era] law is being used [to try to silence Malema], which we believe is unconstitutional.”

Malema’s appearance is set to be brief as his legal team is in the process of challenging the constitutionality of the Act. The outcome of that case will affect the charges he faces in KwaZulu-Natal. According to his legal team, the Act is a relic of apartheid that was used to suppress the free speech of black citizens and should be scrapped.

Updates to follow as more information is made available.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.