Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has challenged State Capture Commission Chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, to face him directly and not use the media.
Malema was addressing members of his party outside the Randburg Magistrate’s Court where he and party Member of Parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi were appearing on assault charges.
The pair is accused of assaulting Colonel Johannes Venter at the funeral of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in 2018 when he refused to allow Malema’s vehicle into the cemetery.
The case has been postponed until March next year with new witnesses expected to testify.
Defence goes through footage of the incident:
During the address, Malema said he is prepared to submit his bank statements anytime.
“I’m not scared of anything. Zondo don’t come to me through newspapers. If uyindoda (a man in Zulu) face me straight, come to me straight, ask for my bank details from me. I’m not scared of Zondo. Zondo is no Jesus Christ. He’s a human being like us and if he wants me, he will find me.”
Legal representation
Malema says his organisation is not anti-white but is non-racial. Addressing the questions on why he was using white lawyers to represent him, Malema said his choice of legal representation depends on the case.
“Our stand against white racists is not against white people. We do not want white racists, and everywhere we meet racists we deal with that decisively. Lawrence Hodes has been with me from long time ago. He doesn’t start to represent me now and he will represent me anytime I want him too.”
EFF leader Julius Malema addresses party members:
Raymond Zondo, who is the Chairperson of the State Capture Commission, has acknowledged having a child in the mid-90s with the sister of one of former President Jacob Zuma’s wives, Thobeka Madiba but says this has no bearing on his work at the commission.
Justice Zondo has acknowledged the matter in a commission statement.
The basis for the family bonds between Mr Zondo and Mr Zuma is the love child between Mr Zondo and the sister of Mr Zuma’s wife. pic.twitter.com/1Wt2jqPmZY
— Khaya Sithole (@CoruscaKhaya) October 29, 2020
The commission says Zondo had waited for Zuma to follow through on reports the former president would lodge an application for Zondo to recuse himself from the commission, but this has not happened.
Zondo says he has, therefore, decided to issue the statement.
Justice Zondo says in the statement that the marriage between Zuma and the sister of the woman with whom he had a child, occurred many years after the birth of the child.
Zondo says the relationship he had with the woman and the birth of the child has no bearing on the execution of his duties either as a Constitutional Court Judge or as Chairperson of the State Capture Commission.
Malema has complained that the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture is biased against former president Jacob Zuma. He was reacting to news that Zondo had allowed former SARS Commissioner Tom Moyane to cross-examine Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, subject to certain conditions. His questions must pertain, for example, to Gordhan’s allegation that the laying of criminal charges against him was motivated by Moyane’s malicious pursuit of state capture objectives.
Malema says this is unfair.
“You’ve never called a press conference to address us about Pravin … when Pravin said on the morning, ‘sorry, I’m going to work today.’ Cabinet is where Pravin works. Zondo didn’t have harsh words for Pravin, because Pravin is a darling, he controls the investigations and leading person there.”
