John Steenhuisen wants Julius Malema, Duduzile and Duduzane Zuma charged for inciting violence

The opposition DA says it will lay a complaint of incitement of violence against EFF leader Julius Malema and former president Jacob Zuma's children, Duduzane and Duduzile.

This follows social media commentary by Duduzile and Malema about the violent protests and looting that started in KwaZulu-Natal and spread to Gauteng.

The protests began as a call to release Zuma, arrested last week for contempt of court after he failed to appear as the Zondo commission in defiance of a Constitutional Court order instructing him to do so.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said on Tuesday he had instructed the party's justice spokesperson Glynnis Breytenbach to lay a criminal complaint.

He was addressing the media on Tuesday after a visit to KwaZulu-Natal.

Malema voiced his support for the looters after the state confirmed it was deploying the army to help police calm the violence and looting.

“No soldiers on our streets! Otherwise, we are joining. All fighters must be ready ... they won't kill us all. We need a political solution to a political problem, not soldiers. #NoToSoldiers,” Malema tweeted on Monday.

Malema further warned those who were calling for a state of emergency, saying they should be careful because the army was going to kill innocent people, citing the case of Collins Khosa who was killed at home during the level 5 lockdown last year.

Duduzile on the other hand has been posting videos of the riots on Twitter, seemingly encouraging the violence.

Steenhuisen said the three were targeted because they had failed to show leadership during the violence and looting.

“I think that these are the most egregious types of incitement of violence we have seen. We have also been able to record screengrabs and video content [posted by the three]. They do seem to be at the forefront of leading the incitement of violence across the country.

“And also they should be showing some form of leadership, quelling violence. Leaders should not be encouraging or fanning the flames of violence in SA particularly now that we are starting to see loss of life,” said Steenhuisen.

He said it was highly irresponsible for the three to behave as they did on social media and that they should be held accountable.

Steenhuisen raised fears of racial tensions that were emerging in KwaZulu-Natal, calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa and his ministers to visit the province to see for himself what was happening.

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