The Economic Freedom Fighters called on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to drop the Riotous Assemblies Act charges against its leader‚ Julius Malema.
The EFF boss faces criminal charges relating to alleged contravention of the Act after telling supporters to invade vacant land. Malema vowed to challenge the constitutionality of the Act.
In 2014 he told the EFF’s elective conference in Bloemfontein: “We’re going to occupy the unoccupied land because we need land. For us to eat‚ we must have the land. For us to work‚ we must have the land. I come from Seshego. If there is unoccupied land‚ we will go and occupy the land with my branch. You must go and do the same in the branch where you come from.”
The call for the charges to be dropped comes as Malema was due to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday over a land evasion charge. He faces a similar charge in the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court in KZN for similar utterances.
The EFF said the charges against Malema are used to frustrate him and the party from conducting a “successful revolution”.
“The charges are also a waste of resources and time. As it is‚ the Riotous Assemblies Act used to charge Malema is an apartheid law used against anti-apartheid activists at the Rivonia Trial and is inconsistent with the post-1994 democratic constitution‚” the statement reads.
“There is no doubt the higher courts will rule against it being used today‚ particularly to suppress people’s views and engagement in public discourse.
“There is nothing right-wingers can do because land expropriation without compensation is a resolution of the fifth democratic parliament and is going to happen.”
The EFF is adamant that the Constitution will be amended to allow expropriation of land without compensation.
“We reiterate that all those charges must be dropped and the country must confront the truth of land hunger and injustice. Charging people who are campaigning for a better change is not a solution and will not benefit anyone‚” the party said.
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