Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and his bodyguard Adriaan Snyman’s attorneys are expected to hand in an application for presiding Magistrate Antoinette Olivier to recuse herself from the firearm discharge trial at the East London Regional Court.
The legal teams are unhappy with the line of questioning directed to Samuel Kwata, a state witness from the audio-visual company that provided services during the EFF birthday celebrations in 2018.
They described these questions as prosecuting and leading.
While this might cause further delays in the case, EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo says they don’t mind such delays if it will serve justice.
“If in the defence of justice and fairness, this process must start from fresh then so be it. …She (Magistrate Antoinette Olivier) has shown herself to have an interest in how this matter must go. I mean, how do you lead a witness into certain evidence, into making certain levels of testimony.”
Tambo elaborates:
The EFF National Spokesperson @Sinawo_Thambo on the recusal application made by the legal team of the CIC @Julius_S_Malema in the East London Magistrates Court, against Magistrate Twanett Olivier
-The Magistrate entered the arena and abandoned her role as a neutral adjudicator pic.twitter.com/jUA7QnvmSz
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) February 1, 2023
SABC News Reporter Lubabalo Dada has more details in the report below:
