Malema, Ndlozi common assault case postponed

The Randburg magistrate’s court on Thursday postponed EFF leader Julius Malema and his right-hand man Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s assault case.

Malema and Ndlozi, who are charged with assaulting a police officer, were ordered to return to court on May 6 after one of the state’s witnesses, General Zulu, failed to show up because he was feeling sick.

Lieutenant-Colonel Johannes Jacobus Venter accused the two of assaulting him at the funeral of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at the Fourways Memorial Park in April 2018.

The duo, who were caught on CCTV, have pleaded not guilty, claiming that Venter had attempted to block them from entering the cemetery to bid farewell to Madikizela-Mandela.

Addressing his followers who had gathered outside the court building, Malema said while there is a backlog of cases, they chose to victimise him, adding that the justice system should be ashamed that it had kept a mere common assault case for four years.

“It exposes the incompetency of our courts, it exposes the incompetence of the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority],” he said.

Malema said the case is wasting his time and keeping him from doing his political and organisation’s duties. He further warned that the state is using the taxpayers’ money to pursue certain individuals, “not because someone is chasing justice”.

He added that what he and Ndlozi did was to defend themselves, saying they will retaliate, as they did with Venter when “confronted by racists”.

“I always tell you all the time, when you meet a racist, put it where it belongs. Make no apology about that,” he told his supporters.

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