Malema and Shivambu tell critics ‘they can voetsek’

EFF leader Julius Malema and his deputy, Floyd Shivambu, have slammed calls by the Council of the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) for Malema to be removed as a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

This was after Casac complained to Parliament’s Registers of Members’ Interests this week about Malema’s attacks on the judiciary and his conduct at last month’s interviews for judges at the JSC. The pressure group has called for Malema to be found guilty of breaching MPs’ ethics code.

This week, 82 members of the KwaZulu-Natal Society of Advocates also criticised the treatment of judges Dhaya Pillay and Piet Koen at the JSC interviews.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday evening, Malema did hold back and told the organisations “they can voetsek (go away)”.

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Shivambu this week came to Malema’s defence and described Casac as “nothing but toothless hunting dogs of the white capitalist establishment”.

He tweeted: “There will never ever be any National Assembly withdrawal of the CiC from the Judicial Service Commission. He’s been the most impactful Commissioner since 2014. CASAC is nothing but toothless hunting dogs of the white capitalist establishment, and we will never take them serious! [SIC]”.

Pillay grilled over Gordhan relationship

During her interview for a post at the Constitutional Court, Pillay was grilled on whether she had relationships with Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and the ANC’s national executive committee member, Derek Hanekom.

Pillay said she had a close relationship with Gordhan and had known him for many years. But she was not friends with Hanekom.

Malema accused her of being “nothing but a political activist”.

“Judge, I am going to argue in a closed session that you are nothing but a political activist. You are no judge and you deserve no high office. If anything, you are also factional and belong to Pravin’s [Gordhan] faction and you are pursuing factional battles using the bench,” Malema said.

ALSO READ: ‘Judicial dictatorship’ – Malema echoes Zuma attacks on judiciary

During his interview for a position on the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng recalled how judge Koen was “rude and discourteous” to him in 2016 at a meeting to discuss cost-cutting measures in the judiciary.

Mogoeng said it was one of his “worst experiences” and questioned how the judge treated advocates who appeared before him.

Koen said he had read the transcript of the meeting and it was not his intention to be rude.

“But perception is important and if it was construed as such, I am very saddened and I apologise unreservedly.”

The chief justice accepted his apology.

They can voetsek

— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) May 19, 2021

There will never ever be any National Assembly withdrawal of the CiC from the Judicial Service Commission. He’s been the most impactful Commissioner since 2014. CASAC is nothing but toothless hunting dogs of the white capitalist establishment, and we will never take them serious! https://t.co/fSj1OVgWbW

— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) May 20, 2021

Additional reporting by News24 Wire.

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