EFF leader Julius Malema is facing open rebellion within his party for the first time after the student wing made it clear that it would oppose his intention to shut it down.
His plan to establish a women’s branch is also being resisted, as is his proposal to impose a leadership slate, so things aren’t going well for Julius at the moment.
To add to the internal politics in the EFF, the party has also found itself at the centre of a number of scandals, some of which resulted in criminal proceedings.
It’s hard to keep track of everything that they get up to, much of which is carefully orchestrated to score cheap political points when the cameras are rolling.
That’s why Sarah Evans has done the Lord’s work for News24, by compiling a comprehensive list of all the court cases that the EFF has been involved in so far.
Let’s recap:
Assaulting a Security Guard
There’s incriminating footage from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral last year, where Malema and EFF national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi were involved in a scuffle with a white security guard.
The two of them appeared in court last month. The case has been postponed and will resume on March 10, 2020.
Assaulting a Journalist
EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu will be appearing court later this week to face charges of common assault after journalists captured his altercation with Media24’s Adrian de Kock outside Parliament on March 20, 2018.
De Kock, along with other journalists, was waiting outside the building where Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille’s disciplinary hearing was taking place.
After approaching Shivambu and asking for comment, de Kock claimed he was held by the neck and manhandled.
Equality Court
The EFF has repeatedly attacked journalists on social media prompting the South Africa National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) to go to the Equality Court to stop the party from intimidating, harassing or assaulting journalists.
VBS Bank
It is one of this country’s greatest ever bank heists. We have the Daily Maverick to thank for exposing the EFF’s plundering (they also exposed the EFF’s hypocrisy with their Camps Bay villa trash-combing), and in particular, Pauli van Wyk.
While it isn’t entirely clear whether or not the EFF is being investigated by the Hawks, Hawks head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya told News24 that action in the case against the VBS looters was imminent.
On Point
For years, Malema has been accused of benefitting personally from tender corruption in Limpopo when he was still knocking boots with the ANC. He was charged with crimes connected to allegations that he received some killer benefits, like luxury cars and a farm from tender payments to On Point Engineering.
The case was struck from the role when his co-accused fell sick, resulting in several postponements.
The Gun That Malema Supposedly Didn’t Fire
He definitely fired the gun. There’s video to prove it.
Malema and security official Adriaan Snyman were charged with illegally discharging a firearm at the EFF’s birthday rally in 2018. He faces multiple charges – unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a built-up area or public space, failure to take reasonable precaution to person or property, and reckless endangerment to person or property.
Land Grabs
Malema faces charges in both Bloemfontein and Newcastle for calling on people to occupy vacant land. The State argues this was done in contravention of the Riotous Assemblies Act. Malema challenged the act itself, claiming that it was an Apartheid-era legislation. The court rejected his challenge, and he now wants to take it to the ConCourt.
This list is already incredibly long for such a young political party.
The sad thing is, it will probably continue to grow.
[source:news24]
