Supreme Court of Appeal Dismisses Malema and EFF’s Appeal on Land Invasion Incitement
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dealt a blow to EFF leader Julius Malema and his party by dismissing their bid to appeal an interdict by AfriForum.
This interdict prevents Malema and the EFF from inciting land invasions.
The case dates back to 2014 when Malema encouraged his followers and party members to occupy land during the party’s elective conference in Bloemfontein.
AfriForum was granted the interdict in 2017, which prohibits Malema and the EFF from trespassing on private property and illegally occupying it.
Malema and the EFF attempted to have the interdict overturned, first approaching the High Court in Pretoria in January 2023 and then the Constitutional Court in March 2023, but both attempts failed.
According to AfriForum, this marks the fifth loss for Malema and the EFF in the same matter.
They applied for leave to appeal in the High Court, which was dismissed, and then took the matter to the Constitutional Court, where their application was also dismissed.
Their final attempt was made at the Supreme Court of Appeal, which has now delivered a definitive verdict, leaving Malema and the EFF with no further options for appeal.
Ernst van Zyl of AfriForum emphasized that the court’s decision establishes the seriousness of incitement to trespass and invade land as a crime.
Despite the legal battle coming to an end, he questioned why Malema and the EFF were so desperate to be allowed to incite land invasions.
With the Supreme Court of Appeal’s ruling, the interdict remains in place, underscoring the importance of respecting private property rights and the consequences of incitement to criminal activities.
