Malema and EFF paid R126 703,59 to AfriForum this morning for legal costs 

13 November 2018

The civil rights organisation AfriForum announced that Julius Malema and the EFF had paid an amount of R126 703,59 to AfriForum this morning. Malema and the EFF owed this amount to AfriForum after Judge Baqwa of the North Gauteng High Court had made a punitive cost order in favour of AfriForum against Malema and the EFF on 12 September 2017.

The cost order stems from a lawsuit that AfriForum brought against Malema and the EFF to obtain a court order to prevent them from inciting people to illegally occupy or trespass on land. The North Gauteng High Court ruled on 7 March 2017 in AfriForum’s favour and granted the interdict with cost. Malema and the EFF then brought an application to set the interdict aside, which was heard on 12 September 2017. The Court had to postpone the case after Malema and the EFF’s heads of argument had been submitted late. The judge consequently issued a punitive cost order against Malema and the EFF. When the case was heard in February this year, the legal representatives of Malema and the EFF failed to show up, and the judge ruled in AfriForum’s favour with a further cost order against Malema and the EFF.

Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, welcomes the payment by Malema and the EFF and says that it sends a clear message that no-one is above the law – not even Malema and the EFF. “AfriForum will use the money to fight expropriation without compensation and land grabs in court,” Kriel says.

According to Kriel, it is not yet the end of the road, because Malema and the EFF owe a further amount of R211 005,09 for other cost orders in the same case. Kriel says that the EFF indicated that they would be contesting the amount in court. “AfriForum’s legal team is ready to oppose the EFF’s court application and to see to it that the EFF does itself a further disservice with additional cost orders. The Sheriff of the Court seized furniture and computers at the EFF’s headquarters on Friday (9 November) in terms of a warrant that AfriForum had obtained against Malema and the EFF. The removal and auctioning off these assets have been put on hold pending the EFF’s legal action,” Kriel says.

Kriel points out that AfriForum also brought proceedings of contempt of court against Malema  as a result of the interdict. The case will commence tomorrow (14 November) at 10:00 in the North Gauteng High Court. According to Kriel, he is full of hope that AfriForum has a strong case to hold Malema accountable with this legal action.

Issued by Marelie Greeff, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 13 November 2018