Botswana should probe Malema for sedition: FF+

The Freedom Front Plus is calling on Botswana to probe ANC Youth League president Julius Malema in order to charge him with sedition.

"In terms of section 50 of the Botswana Penal Code, sedition is defined as acts which are aimed at incite [sic] hatred, disrespect and unhappiness with a specific section of the population against the president of Botswana or Botswana's legal administration," FFPlus economic affairs spokesman Anton Alberts said in a statement on Thursday.

"It therefore appears that Malema and the youth league's comments that a regime change is necessary, that the current Botswana government is merely a puppet government of the USA and a foot stool of imperialism, as well as their intention to influence opposition politics in that country in order to bring about a regime change, could possibly qualify as sedition," he said.

The FFPlus was reacting to comments made by Malema over the weekend, after a meeting of the league's national executive committee.

Malema said the ANCYL would send a team to Botswana to consolidate local opposition parties as it believed the government there was "in full cooperation with imperialists" and was undermining the African agenda.

The ANCYL was publicly lashed by its mother body, the ANC, first by spokesman Jackson Mthembu and then by secretary general Gwede Mantashe.

The ANC totally rejected and publicly rebuked the ANCYL on "its extremely thoughtless and embarrassing pronouncements on 'regime change' in Botswana...".

This was a total deviation from and an affront to ANC policy.

But Alberts said the ANCYL remained defiant in the face of the criticism from the ANC.

"This shows that the ANC Youth League intends to continue with their plans to overthrow the government of Botswana," he said.

"There should be enough grounds to arrest Malema and any other member of the ANCYL's executive as soon as they enter Botswana.

"Alternative charges of crimen injuria and the undermining of section 73 of the Botswana Penal code could also be brought against them."

Alberts said if the FFPlus succeeded in only ensuring that Malema and the ANCYL leadership were not allowed in Botswana, its action would be worthwhile.

ANCYL spokesman Floyd Shivambu declined to respond to the FFPlus.

"Look, we really can't dignify the foolishness and the stupidity of the FFPlus with a response," he said.

In the letter to the office of the attorney-general of Botswana, Alberts said he believed grounds for Malema's prosecution existed.

"While it is not necessarily sedition to criticise a government on its policies and to attempt to persuade people to change government in a constitutional manner, Mr Malema and the ANC Youth League's acts are, as far as we are concerned, directed and intended to cause hatred, disrespect and disaffection towards the president of Botswana and the administration of justice, as per Section 50, and therefore qualifies as sedition," he wrote,

"An alternative charge would be criminal defamation or subversion in terms of Section 73.

"We, therefore, respectfully request that your esteemed office investigate this matter for the benefit of both our countries."

The office of the attorney general in Botswana could not immediately be reached to confirm receipt of the letter.