Malema Gets Time to Focus on EFF as his Trial is Postponed


By Staff Writer    18-Nov-2013 23:19 UTC+02:00

malemaEconomic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema will have all the time he needs to focus on campaigning for next year’s elections and not worry about court appearances for a while after his corruption trial was postponed to September next year.

On Monday (18 November), Malema appeared at the Polokwane High Court, where his trial was expected to commence. However, the judge postponed it to the 30th of September 2014.

Although the trial was postponed, Malema will appear again in court on the 28th this month, where his legal team will attempt to have all the charges against him dropped.

Malema and his co-accused are facing charges of fraud, corruption, racketeering and money-laundering. In 2012, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela allegedly found evidence that On-Point Engineering, a company in which Malema held shares through his Ratanang family trust, misrepresented itself and fraudulently won a R52 million tender from the Limpompo government in 2009.

It is reported that Malema was paid R4 million from the money that the government paid to On-Point Engineering. However, he maintains that he is innocent. He believes that the charges are politically motivated.

“They accuse me of stealing because they are failing to match my thinking capacity,” Malema said outside the court.

He told his supporters that he would never betray them nor steal from them. He then thanked them for coming to court to support him. “Comrades who came from all different areas to give me support, I salute you. I don’t take your support for granted. I stand before you with humility. I will never be arrogant,” He said.