Tit-for-tat Malema says he will lay charges against Pravin Gordhan

EFF leader Julius Malema tweeted on Monday that he would be opening a criminal case against public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan.

In a tweet from his personal account, Malema made a string of accusations against Gordhan.

"Opening a criminal case against Pravin Gordhan tomorrow 27 November 2018, 11am at Brooklyn Police Station," said a tweet from his account.

"Charges will include money laundering, corruption, racketeering, fraud, contravention of Intelligence Act and Prevention & Combating of Corrupt Activities Act and perjury," it added.

Malema's move comes just hours after Gordhan laid charges of crimen injuria, incitement of violence and criminal defamation against the EFF leader.

Gordhan laid the charges at the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria.

This came after statements made by Malema last week outside the state capture inquiry in Johannesburg where scores of EFF members protested while Gordhan testified before the Zondo commission.

In that address, Malema accused Gordhan of being corrupt, a "dog of white monopoly capital" and claimed that Gordhan hated black people.

Addressing reporters outside the police station on Monday morning, Gordhan’s lawyer, Tebogo Malatji, said the minister would also lay a hate speech complaint with the Equality Court against Malema.

"Those statements were hurtful, intended to incite hatred and constituted hate speech," Malatji said.

He said the minister would demand that Malema pay R150,000 for his statements. That amount, if granted, would be donated to charitable causes.