AfriForum accuses Malema of incitement to occupy land

1 August 2017  

The civil rights organisation AfriForum today submitted criminal charges of incitement to trespassing against Julius Malema at the Lyttelton Police Station. This follows after Malema encouraged his followers at the Economic Freedom Fighters’ birthday event to occupy the land of white people. 

According to media reports, Malema took the following stand in his speech: “If you don’t have a piece of land you are a coward. Go and identify a piece of land anywhere you like. That is your land. In my ward in Seshego we did that. The owner came and said he had been listening and we could take half. If you don’t listen, you will lose the whole land. White land owners must share land.”

Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, says that Malema is one of the country’s most influential politicians and that incitement to crime by such a political figure should be addressed with the necessary gravity. “We expect the Police to investigate the case thoroughly and that the prosecuting authority will take the necessary steps in this regard.” 

Issued by Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO, AfriForum, 1 August 2017