According to lobby group AfriForum, the organisation has “successfully pressured” the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to prosecute Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema on two charges – one involving the alleged assault of a police officer and the other involving his alleged firing of a weapon in a crowded area during his party’s fifth birthday celebrations.
Malema will appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on November 20 on charges of assaulting a senior police officer, according to the head of the organisation’s private prosecuting unit, Gerrie Nel.
The lobby group said he would also appear in the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court in the Eastern Cape on charges of the negligent firing of a firearm and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
NPA spokesperson Bulelwa Makeke said there was “no need” for the prosecuting authority to comment on this and would not confirm whether or not what Nel said is true. EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has also been approached for comment and we will update this story if his comment is received.
READ MORE: Is Malema off to jail soon? asks AfriForum
The lobby group, which is very critical of the NPA, also wants it to prosecute Malema on other matters and wants it to also reinstitute the case against Malema regarding his involvement in allegedly corrupt activities of the company On-Point Engineering in Limpopo.
“We have served a mandamus application on the NPA and the minister of justice to compel the NPA through the court, to take a decision on the prosecution of Julius Malema for alleged corruption, money laundering and racketeering related to On Point,” Nel said.