We're doing it for the taxpayers‚ says AfriForum on Malema prosecution
Image: Phill Magakoe
AfriForum says that it has an interest in EFF leader Julius Malema's corruption case as it represents taxpayers.
The organisation announced on Thursday that it planned to privately prosecute Malema on fraud and corruption charges involving On-Point Engineering in Limpopo.
On-Point Engineering is a company that Malema's family trust Ratanang has an interest in. On-Point was appointed by the Limpopo department of roads to advise it on tenders awarded to different companies. The companies that got the tenders allegedly paid back money into the account of On-Point Engineering.
"Nobody is above the law. Even if Mr Malema thinks he is above the law‚ he is not. We will make sure that he is held accountable‚" said AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel.
The man to lead the prosecution‚ Gerrie Nel‚ said they were not happy with the way that the National Prosecuting Authority was handling the matter.
"Our only interest is equality before the law. We've said from the start that we are interested only in those people that are sheltered against prosecution because of who they are or political affiliation... We think that it is an excellent matter to develop the law‚" Nel said.
Kriel said it did not make sense that the NPA after two years had not brought the matter back to court after it was struck off the roll in August 2015.
When asked about the specific interest that AfriForum had in Malema's case‚ Kriel said: "In this case everyone of us that pays tax has an interest. The AfriForum members we represent that work hard for their money... have a right to demand that those taxes that they pay should not be stolen through corruption by people like Julius Malema."