Malema firm on speaking ‘truth’ about racism
DEFIANT EFF leader Julius Malema said the “truth” about racism in South Africa was seen as credible only when it was voiced by whites or Indians.
Malema made the comments after a brief appearance at the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court where he has been charged with contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956 following his comments at a rally in the area in 2016.
The case was again postponed as his lawyers were fighting the constitutionality of the act. Malema will appear again in February next year.
Addressing hundreds of EFF supporters from a mobile stage after his appearance, Malema made reference to comments made by himself and the party that the majority of Indian South Africans were racist.
“They are all screaming (after we said that). But they are now coming back one by one – sobering up – and confirming exactly what the EFF is saying. Indeed, the majority of Indians are racist.
“Former constitutional court judge (Zak) Yacoob – who is an Indian himself – says 90% of Indians are racist. They never said they are taking him to court. They never threatened to do all types of things against him. When it is said by an Indian, because of racism, it is allowed, it is acceptable.
Malema said this was one of the problems the country was dealing with.
“It is truth when it is told by a white person. It is the truth when it is told by an Indian person, but if it is told by a person of a lower class, it is unacceptable.”
Earlier, referring to his court case, Malema said he was merely repeating what the Freedom Charter had said.
“On June 26, 2016, I was here. That’s where I made remarks that we must occupy our land because it’s the right thing to do. So today is the second anniversary of that speech I gave here.
“We were commemorating the Freedom Charter, which says ‘The land shall be shared among those who work it’; that all of you will choose where you want to stay,” he told supporters.
The ANC was using the same law that was used by the apartheid government to fight them, he said.
“Nothing has changed, things remain the way they are. Today you must learn one thing; there is a difference between political power and electoral power.
“The ANC has got electoral power but it has got no political power,” he said.
Malema said that workers who were abused by white or Indian “racists” were “running to the EFF” because they knew this is where the political power in the country resided.