Expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema insisted on Wednesday that money-laundering charges against him were part of a plot to silence him.
“I am aware that senior government officials… have agitated law enforcement authorities to expedite my arrest and detain me as a means of trying to silence and disrupt the political activities I am involved in,” he said in a statement.
“Attempts to silence our political activities and involvement will never succeed because we carry a revolutionary obligation to speak on behalf of the oppressed and downtrodden masses.”
Malema said he would visit mineworkers in the North West on Thursday to pledge support for their wage protests.
“The struggle for economic freedom is in motion and no amount of suppression and intimidation will silence us,” he said.
“Attempts to banish us and isolate us from the ANC have never succeeded and… [will] never succeed.”
Malema was granted bail of R10,000 by the Polokwane Regional Court on Wednesday.
He was officially charged with money-laundering, for allegedly “receiving proceeds from unlawful activities”.
The affidavit he made in support of his application for bail was not read out in court. The case was postponed to November 30.
Malema said it was “conclusively irresponsible” for the State to issue a warrant of arrest and to take him to court, when it could not produce a docket to justify its charges.
“The rushing of the charging seems to be inspired by other considerations than justice,” he said.
“It is very strange that some political leaders, who are compromised and insisted that my arrest be expedited, are the ones who should respond to more than 700 charges of corruption, fraud and money-laundering.”
Earlier, Malema told supporters outside the court that they needed to make sure President Jacob Zuma was not re-elected at the ANC’s national conference in Mangaung at the end of the year.
“We must make sure Jacob Zuma does not become [remain] president of the ANC… Remove him as a president,” he said.
“Zuma has 700 charges against him. I only have one.”
In his statement, Malema said the “rule of law” could not be undermined by people with political power.
“All South Africans, including Jacob Zuma, should be equal before the law,” he said.
The ANC on Wednesday denied accusations that the charges brought against axed youth league leader Julius Malema were politically motivated.
“We reject this accusation with contempt, as it is misleading and seeking to undermine the rule of law and jurisprudence of the country,” spokesman Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.
“We want to appeal to our structures and to all South Africans to refrain from using inflammatory and unsubstantiated accusations against the ANC and the government agencies.”
The African National Congress in Limpopo and the ANC Youth League have accused the ruling party of using the charges against Malema to fight political battles.
Mthembu said: “In relation to charges favoured against [Malema] we want to state it categorically that the ANC, its president comrade Jacob Zuma and its leadership have no role in the charges.”
Malema appeared in the Polokwane Regional Court on Wednesday.
He was charged with money-laundering and granted bail of R10,000. The case was postponed until November 30.
The ANC called on those who had evidence of the abuse of state powers and its agencies to submit evidence in court as part of the defence.
Mthembu said the ANC was confident that the court would do its job without political motivation.
“It is evident that anybody that suggests the abuse of state powers is trying to water down the implications inherent in the charges and prejudging the case before it has even started,” he said.
“Let’s allow the law to take its course, and presume everyone appearing before the courts innocent until proven guilty.” – Sapa