Murder conviction of EFF fighter overturned‚ after two years in jail

24 February 2017 - 15:29 By Tmg Digital
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Economic Freedom Fighters North West Co-ordinator Member, Papiki Babuile, on July 13, 2013, in Sebokeng, South Africa. File photo.
Economic Freedom Fighters North West Co-ordinator Member, Papiki Babuile, on July 13, 2013, in Sebokeng, South Africa. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images / City Press / Lucky Nxumalo

Former North West EFF chief whip Papiki Babuile has had his murder conviction overturned‚ the Economic Freedom Fighters announced on Friday.

"Papiki Babuile will now resume his duties as Secretary of the province in the North West with immediate effect‚" the party said.

"EFF has always held that Papiki Babuile's case was political and his imprisonment sought to kill EFF in North West.

"This judgment is a political vindication of our long held position."

Babuile was jailed in 2014 and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for the murder of David Chika‚ regional secretary of the African National Congress.

  • Convicted North West EFF chief whip Papiki Babuile loses legislature membership North West EFF chief whip Papiki Babuile has been removed as a member of the legislature, Speaker Susan Dantjie's spokesman said on Friday. 

On Friday the EFF said: "Today‚ the Gauteng South High Court overturned the conviction following an appeal process."

"We welcome this judgment with sore hearts because our fighter lost two years of his life due to a wrong conviction."

In 2015‚ the Citizen reported he had been running the EFF's North West affairs from his prison cell and had received at least two months of his salary while in jail. He had been the EFF chief whip‚ earnng an annual package of over R1 million.

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