AfriForum files contempt of court application against Malema and EFF over land occupation calls

The legal battle over land ownership in South Africa has intensified as AfriForum officially filed a contempt of court application against Julius Malema and the Economic Freedom Fighters. The move follows recent statements by the party leadership regarding land occupations.

Kallie Kriel, the CEO of AfriForum, confirmed that the application was submitted to the High Court in Pretoria on Friday. The organization claims that Malema and his party are in direct violation of a judicial order established years ago.

A Long-Standing Legal Barrier

The dispute centers on an injunction granted in March 2017. This order strictly forbids the EFF and its leader from inciting or commanding anyone to trespass on private property without the consent of the lawful owner.

Since the original ruling, the Red Berets have attempted to overturn the restrictions through several legal avenues. However, every challenge brought before the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court has been dismissed.

Demanding Harsh Sanctions

In this latest filing, AfriForum is not just looking for a warning. The group is asking the court to sentence Malema to 18 months behind bars for his continued defiance of the 2017 ruling.

Additionally, the application seeks a R500,000 fine against the EFF as a political entity. The civil rights group argues that previous cost orders and rulings have failed to deter the party's rhetoric on land seizures.

Defiance From the Red Berets

Malema has historically remained unmoved by these legal challenges. Speaking recently outside the East London Magistrate’s Court, the EFF leader told his followers that he was not intimidated by his detractors at AfriForum.

The outcome of this application will now rest with the High Court. It marks a significant moment in the ongoing friction between the two organizations over property rights and South African law.