By Zintle Mohleti | IOL |
EFF leader Julius Malema’s land grab case at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court has been postponed.
Malema appeared briefly at the court where the state asked for a postponement until July 27, because Malema is challenging the constitutionality of the Riotous Assemblies Act. That case is yet to be heard at the North Gauteng High Court.
The EFF leader’s charges relate to contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act in 2014 when he told his supporters at the EFF’s elective conference to occupy land.
Malema has questioned the lawfulness of the Act as it was enacted during Apartheid and was used dubiously by the Apartheid government.
When he appeared in court on Friday, Malema was greeted by a large crowd of his supporters who were dressed in the party’s red T-shirts.
He addressed the crowd and spoke about land and made attempts to clarify his comments about white South Africans.
“Our relationship with land is not as visitors. Our umbilical cord is buried here, just like the whites that were born here their umbilical cord is buried here and they too deserve the land, but they must be willing to share it,” said Malema.
“Nowhere in the policies of the EFF do we talk about driving whites into the sea. South Africa would be boring without whites, they have naturalised. It’s like waking up one morning and there are no trees. They are part of SA, but they must share the land,” said Malema.
Malema is also facing similar charges in KwaZulu-Natal where he is charged with incitement to commit a crime.
He previously told supporters in KZN to occupy land that they wished to and that whites had no claim to land.
