Constitutional Court’s ruling on the Riotous Assemblies Act adds momentum to the complaints lodges against the EFF and BLF by FF Plus

28 November 2020

The FF Plus welcomes the Constitutional Court's ruling that the Riotous Assemblies Act is indeed constitutional.

It means that the complaint that the FF Plus lodged against the leader of the EFF, Julius Malema, in terms of this Act earlier this week is valid.

It also covers the complaint lodged against the leader of the then political party Black First Land First (BLF), Andile Mngxitama, that the FF Plus lodged in December 2018.

The charges against Mngxitama were hate speech, incitement to violence and incitement to committing offences.

Yesterday's Constitutional Court ruling means that the legal processes for both the complaints that the party lodged in terms of the Riotous Assemblies Act can proceed.

The complaint against Malema also relates to the Intimidation Act for his intimidation of members of the police service.

The complaint against Malema (which was lodged by Dr Pieter Groenewald, leader of the FF Plus) states, among other things, that many FF Plus members and supporters are also members of the police service and they feel that their lives are at risk after the threats made against police officers.

Malema reportedly said the following, among other things: "If the SAPS want a fight, they must declare it. We will treat them the same way we treated them in the eighties"; and "We will not only fight them at the picket lines, we will go to their homes and fight them in their own houses with their own families. We are not scared of the police ..."; and "We will come for you one by one ...".

The threat about treating the police the same way as in the eighties is particularly alarming seeing as the feared "necklace method" was widely used to murder people at that time of political unrest and violence.

No one is above the law and that applies to Julius Malema and Andile Mngxitama as well. The FF Plus will do everything in its power to hold them accountable.

The police and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) now have no reason not to proceed with the prosecution of these two individuals who are exploiting political platforms to spread hate and violence in the country.

The time has come for the law to take its course and stop these two individuals from fanning the flames of racialism in the country.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 28 November 2020