The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are applauding themselves for winning a case which was yet again brought by minority-rights group Afriforum.
EFF BELIEVES INCIDENT WAS DUE TO RACISM BY AFRIFORUM MEMBER
The EFF leader Julius Malema and EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi were found not guilty by the Randburg Magistrate’s Court for assault.
The two were facing a trial for allegedly assaulting police officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Johannes Venter. Venter had denied them access to the funeral of the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
But the party believes Venter denied them access to the funeral because of racism and “hatred for the EFF”. This is due to his membership with Afriforum, said party spokesperson Sinawo Thambo.
Instead, Venter had no list to identify those who were to be granted access or not. Neither did he use any verifiable procedure to justify denying the EFF leadership access, said Thambo.
“This confirms that his logic to deny access was racism. The dismissal of this case, which undoubtedly sponsored by the right-wing Afriforum, comes after the scathing judgement against the very same Afriforum in the case relating to the struggle song Dubula Ibhunu.”
Sinawo Thambo
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Last month, the Equality Court in Johannesburg ruled against another court application by Afriforum against the red-berets. The court found that the EFF’s singing of ‘Kill the Boer’ was not hate speech.
Thambo says the party is vindicated as they believe Afriforum is abusing the judiciary to fight a political battle against the EFF and its leaders.
“Afriforum has once against lost to the superior logic of the EFF and its capable legal team. The pain has gone straight to the hearts of the hateful white supremacists of Afriforum, who fundraise using the name of EFF and through swaart-gevaar tactics, simply because the EFF is fighting for the return of the land,” Thambo said.
PARTY WELCOMES THE ‘SENSIBLE’ JUDGEMENT
The red-berets welcome the judgement passed by the court which acquitted their leaders.
The recorded incident, which took place in April 2018, shows Malema and Ndlozi pushing Venter for blocking their entry. Their access was denied despite their vehicle having displayed their appropriate accreditation.
The judgement is therefore sensible and correct, EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said.
The courts found that Venter’s evidence was “not impressive” and had discrepancies between what was presented to the court and in his statements, said Thambo.
“The Randburg Magistrates Court rightfully determined that the pushing of Venter by the President of the EFF and Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi was justified, and the State failed to make a case of assault beyond a reasonable doubt, due to numerous discrepancies and contradictions in the version of evidence by the state witnesses,” said Thambo.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) accepts the judgement to acquit the EFF leaders, said regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane.
“The judgment signals the proper functioning of the criminal justice system as required by law, that if the State failed to prove its allegations beyond any reasonable doubt, then the accused is entitled to an acquittal,” she said.
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