Malema slams waste of time‚ money after 'land grab' case adjourned

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has criticised the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for wasting state resources after he made a brief appearance in the dock at the Newcastle Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

He is accused of unlawfully and intentionally inciting and instigating the EFF to trespass and to illegally occupy vacant land following an address on November 7‚ 2016‚ in Newcastle‚ KwaZulu-Natal.

Malema’s trial was set down for two days but was postponed until later in the week.

Malema is facing a similar charge in Bloemfontein in the Free State‚ but a new charge has been added to his legal woes.

"On November 7‚ 2016‚ in Newcastle‚ Malema unlawfully and intentionally incited‚ instigated‚ commanded or procured his Economic Freedom Fighters and or others to commit a crime‚ to wit‚ trespass‚ in contravention of Section 1 (1) of the Trespass Act 6 of 1959 by illegally occupying any vacant land wherever they found some and thereby committing the crime of incitement‚" the charge sheet says.

However he is currently challenging the constitutionality of the Riotous Assemblies Act in both Bloemfontein and Newcastle.

Addressing reporters and supporters outside court‚ Malema said that travelling from Polokwane to Newcastle repeatedly required serious resources‚ which he didn't have.

"The state doesn't compensate me. A considerate person would consolidate these matters and not waste state resources. The prosecutor is not from here and he stays in a luxurious hotel."

Malema quipped that possibly the prosecutor had "other arrangements" that were not "work related" that brought him to the town for numerous postponements.

"To come here for five minutes is a waste of time and resources. These resources could be spent fighting serious crime‚" he said.

Malema said that he would be using the Freedom Charter to defend his statements.

"It's not me inventing new things … that’s what the struggle has been about. I will repeat what the generations before me said … I will use Madiba and Tambo before and after (im)prison(ment) on the radical interpretation of the Freedom Charter. Not the sweetheart approach to soothe the exaggerated feelings of white people."

He said his team will file supplementary affidavits on Wednesday or Thursday.

- TimesLIVE