'He must stop wasting time': EFF on Catzavelos bid to sink criminal case

02 October 2019 - 13:51 By Nomahlubi Jordaan
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Adam Catzavelos arrives at the Randburg magistrate's court over his racist video that went viral last year. File photo.
Adam Catzavelos arrives at the Randburg magistrate's court over his racist video that went viral last year. File photo.
Image: ALON SKUY/Sunday Times

Adam Catzavelos, the man who caused an uproar after using the k-word in a video, is yet to hear the outcome of representations he made to the national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) to have the case against him dropped.

Catzavelos appeared in the Randburg magistrate's court on Wednesday.

His case was postponed to November 12 for a response from the NDPP. He is arguing that a criminal case against him for the slur should be dropped because the video was shot abroad and a court in SA did not have jurisdiction over the matter.

Prosecutor Dinesh Nandkissor told the court that after unsuccessfully making representations to the Gauteng director of public prosecutions, Catzavelos headed to the NDPP.

"The representations with the DPP were not successful and then he escalated the matter to the NDPP," said Nandkissor.

He said state had not received any information from the office of the NDPP.

"At this stage, we have not received any news from them," Nandkissor said, confirming that the office of the NDPP had received the representations.

"It is common cause that the office of the NDPP has received the representations and they have not made a decision," his lawyer, Lawley Shein, told the court.

Catzavelos is out on warning.

Catzavelos agreed to pay R150,000 in August for using the racial slur after the Human Rights Commission took him to the equality court.

He also made a written apology as part of a settlement agreement with the commission.

In it, he wrote: "I acknowledge what I have done and the harm it has caused first and foremost to black South Africans, but also to our country, and to all South Africans irrespective of race and to my family and I take full responsibility for it and hold myself accountable".

EFF Gauteng chair Mandisa Mashego, who laid a crimen injuria complaint against Catzavelos, was in court flanked by members of the party on Wednesday.

Speaking outside, she said Catzavelos's approach to the NDPP was an attempt to frustrate the party.

"His argument of jurisdiction won't succeed because if it was going to succeed on a technical level, it would have succeeded in the equality court. He just needs to stop wasting time and come and sit so we can have the trial and get justice," said Mashego.

She threatened to open another case against Catzavelos, claiming that he had asked EFF members in court if they were not working on Wednesday.

"We want to put him on warning for such comments because we will not be emotionally blackmailed. He can blackmail the criminal justice system, but we are not up for that.

"He's very provocative and very inflammatory and he shows no remorse up to today. He must stop making racist comments. We don't take lightly to that. There's a police station next door. We will go and open another case against him." 


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