COUNTING THE COST
Afriforum all set to seize EFF’S assets
AfriForum has won a warrant to seize movable assets belonging to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and its leader‚ Julius Malema‚ to recover R337‚758 in legal fees.
The organisation said the warrant‚ granted by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on November 1‚ will be given to the sheriff to identify and auction off assets owned by the party and Malema.
“Malema and the EFF owe AfriForum this amount due to the North Gauteng High Court issuing two cost orders against Malema and the EFF in favour of AfriForum since March 2017‚” AfriForum said on Sunday.
Malema and the EFF had disregarded court orders to pay the legal fees of AfriForum‚ the organisation said.
The red berets‚ however‚ said on Sunday that they had no record of being served with a costs order.
The cost orders stem from a lawsuit brought by AfriForum against Malema and the EFF for an interdict to prevent them from inciting people to grab or enter land illegally.
On March 7 2017‚ the high court ruled in favour of AfriForum and granted the interdict. Malema and the EFF had applied for it to be set aside.
The rescission application was to have been heard on September 12 2017‚ but was postponed after Malema and the EFF’s heads of argument were filed late. The judge issued a punitive costs order against Malema and the EFF.
At the next court appearance in March 2018‚ the legal representatives of Malema and the EFF did not turn up and the court ruled in favour of AfriForum, issuing a further cost order against Malema and the EFF.
Ian Cameron‚ AfriForum’s head of community safety‚ said the organisation was determined to collect the money and use it to fund the fight against illegal land grabs.
“Julius Malema and his party‚ that encourage violence and anarchy‚ can be assured that AfriForum will use their money and assets against them in this manner in order to fight for justice‚” Cameron said.
The EFF said on Sunday it had unsuccessfully attempted to rescind the original judgment and was appealing the matter.
“For a costs order to be enforced‚ the attorneys of EFF must be served with a Notice of Intention to Tax a Bill of Costs which we have no record of‚” the EFF said.