EFF MP charged with Sona slap has case postponed until June

An assault case against EFF MP Marshall Dlamini was postponed until June 5 in the Cape Town magistrate's court on Tuesday.

The MP's counsel indicated that they would like the case to be heard after the general election.

Dlamini was filmed slapping a plain-clothes police officer at parliament after the state of the Nation address (Sona) in February.

Charges of assault were laid by a male warrant officer and a female sergeant, said police spokesperson Brig Vishnu Naidoo.

The EFF claimed the scuffle was in response to a death threat against party leader Julius Malema.

On Tuesday, the defence indicated that it was waiting for further particulars of the charge, and said Dlamini intended making representations to the director of public prosecutions.

A small crowd of EFF supporters toyi-toyied outside court in support of Dlamini.

Dlamini seemed unfazed and revealed after appearing in court that he was more concerned about the upcoming general election.

He told supporters dressed in party regalia, who sang and danced outside court: “As you would know that we are busy in KZN because we are preparing for victory. I left the commander-in-chief (Julius Malema) alone there. So I must rush to the province because May 8 is around the corner.”  

The group burst into song again as he and another party official dashed off.

EFF MP Godrich Gardee told party supporters that it was not Dlamini who was arrested, but the “revolution”.

“We did not intend to be here but the state decided to organise for us and we had to be here. It is part of the elections,” said Gardee.

“Commissar Marshall, we are here to support you. We are with you in the circumstances where you find yourself.

“It is the revolution that the is under arrest. It is the revolution that is on trial. We will be coming here again on June 5 after the inauguration of president and commander-in-chief of the EFF on May 25 in Pretoria.”