DA upbeat over progress on criminal charges against Malema, Zuma’s kids

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it is hopeful that criminal charges against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and former president Jacob Zuma’s children will “go somewhere”.

The DA previously laid criminal charges against Malema, Duduzane Zuma and Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, following social media comments on the violent unrest in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which has left more than 300 people dead to date.

The party laid the charges at the Cape Town police station two weeks ago.

ALSO READ: Malema tells DA to retract ‘vexatious’ allegations or face R1m lawsuit

DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach revealed that investigators were already into looking the matter.

“The police [the Hawks] have assigned the two very senior investigators who have been to see me twice. They show a great interest in this investigation and I know they are working hard on it they keep me reasonably updated.

“They have appointed a competent forensic expert to help them in this investigation and I know they collected a large body of data already for analysis.

“So they taking it very seriously. I’m very happy with the progress they have been making and they constantly keep me in the loop. I’m quite optimistic that these charges will then go somewhere,” she said.

Instigators

Breytenbach also questioned whether government really knew who the instigators behind the recent looting and violent unrest were.

“Well, one wonders if they exist [instigators]. If they know who they are then why haven’t they arrested them… they brought in one person for questioning. So either there are no 12 instigators or they have no idea what happened.

“And if we look at the minister in charge of the security cluster then I’ll go with the second option,” she added.

So far, the police have arrested nine people of the alleged instigators – including Former Ukhozi FM DJ, Ngizwe Mchunu – over the riots and destruction of property.

R1 million lawsuit

According to TimesLive, Malema’s lawyers has argued that the EFF leader did not incite violence, but only expressed his disapproval of the government’s decision to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

Malema has threatened to sue the DA and party leader John Steenhuisen for R1 million should they not retract the allegations and publicly apologise within five days.

The allegations against Malema were labelled as “vexatious, misplaced, spurious and untrue and were made to exact political revenge on Malema and his reputation, and indirectly on the EFF”, the publication quotes the lawyers as saying.