Malema Defends Use of White Lawyers, Saying Some Black Lawyers Fail in Court

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema on Thursday said he was using white lawyers in his assault case because they had won cases for him in the past, which is something some black lawyers had failed to do.

Malema was responding to criticism from some who had asked why he chose white lawyers to represent him at his assault trial.

“We were losing cases with black lawyers failing to submit a simple thing as one page. And then we must use the same services [and] lose cases so that we can be projected as the most disorganised organisation with no direction? To hell with all of you,” Malema said on Thursday .

He denied the EFF is a non-white party and insisted it is a nonracial organisation.

Malema and party MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi have been charged with common assault over an altercation with a police officer at Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral in 2018.

They have denied this, saying that the police officer stationed at the gate of the Fourways Memorial Park Cemetery did not see their accreditation, which was on their dashboard.

Malema said he could employ any lawyer he wanted to represent him.

The EFF leader added that the party had Advocate Laurence Hodes and attorney Ian Levitt as part of their payroll to represent them anywhere in the country.

“Laurence Hodes has been with me from a long time ago. He doesn’t start to represent me now. He has presented me before and he will represent me anytime I want him to represent me. No fool can tell me which lawyer must represent me,” he said.

Malema said that they had used black lawyers before who had failed to win simple cases for them, but that he could leave the case in the Laurence’s care.

“We must never worry about that. We leave that in Laurence’s hands and his team. We must win this case. If we don’t win this case, then they must know that they have compromised their careers. They can’t lose such a simple case,” he said.

The trial was postponed to March next year.

MALEMA CHALLENGES JUSTICE ZONDO

At the same time, Malema has challenged the chair of the state capture commission of inquiry to approach him personally for his bank statements.

The EFF leader was responding to reports that the commission had requested his banking records. Speaking to his party members and supporters outside the court, he said he was not scared of Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

“If he wants to use the commission that we have established ourselves to further the political agenda of Jamnadas [Pravin Gordhan] and Cyril Ramaphosa, we will expose him for who he is,” Malema said.

He said President Cyril Ramaphosa should also be investigated.

The state capture commission has not confirmed whether they are investigating Malema, and he said his lawyers had not heard from the commission.