Juju takes defamation action to Bloem

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema is taking his defamation fight against former MP Thembinkosi Rawula to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.

He accused Rawula of tarnishing his political image, the SABC reported.

In November, 2019, the High Court in the Eastern Cape dismissed a defamation case against the former party MP.

“It’s not an EFF initiative, it’s between me and him,” Malema said at the time.

Rawula had published, then deleted, a social media post in which he made damning allegations against Malema and party deputy president Floyd Shivambu earlier in the year.

On social media following the ruling, Rawula said: “While the defamatory case against me has been dismissed with contempt by PE High Court, I am still studying the judgment.”

Malema approached the courts following allegations made by Rawula that he and Shivambu had taken money from VBS Bank.

Rawula called Malema and Shivambu “the pair”, and alleged the EFF was like a “financial fishing net” for them, “an antithesis of everything they support”.

He alleged: “The political overview of Julius Malema in the most recent CCT [central command team] meeting admitted to EFF taking [now-liquidated] VBS money to finance the revolution. In fact, [Malema] said, ‘sometimes we are forced to kiss dogs or [the] devil to get funding’. The VBS money was done under the full knowledge of the leadership.”

He also alleged that Malema and Shivambu had been abusing millions in party funds, particularly from the levies the party imposed on its elected representatives and constituency funds received from Treasury.

“All these monies are centralised in the EFF under the control, abuse and dictatorship of Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu. This pair has made it clear, this is their organisation, and all of you have come to join us, not the other way round.”

He listed a number of alleged methods they used to gain personal access to money from legislatures and parliament, thus supposedly sidestepping Treasury laws.

The EFF subsequently dismissed his allegations as lies driven by him not having made the cut to return to parliament, which he denied.

Money EFF took from VBS Bank was to finance revolution.

Thembinkosi Rawula former MP