AfriForum was granted an interdict against Malema in 2017 prohibiting him from making calls for land occupation.
EFF leader Julius Malema. Picture: X / @EFFSouthAfrica
AfriForum are calling for Julius Malema to be held in contempt of court for recent comments he made encouraging the occupation of land in Stellenbosch.
AfriForum requested that the High Court fine Malema and the EFF R500 000, jail the party’s leader for 18 months or impose a comparable punishment.
The civil society group was granted an interdict against Malema in 2017 prohibiting him from making calls for land occupation.
“This order prohibits the EFF and Malema from inciting, instigating, commanding, or procuring any individual to trespass or enter any land without the required permission of the owner or lawful occupant,” AfriForum stated on Sunday.
The contempt of court application was filed on Friday with the High Court in Pretoria, where AfriForum reference two instances where it believes the EFF leader violated the court order.
‘When the youth of Kayamnandi stand up’
As well as a social media post from April 2025, AfriForum’s application highlights a speech given by Malema on 23 July.
Malema was speaking at the University of Limpopo’s Onkgopotse Tiro Hall, when he shared a story about an impoverished area bordering a wine estate in Stellenbosch.
“When I go to Kayamnandi, I say to them, we must go and take that land, we must go and occupy that land.
“Revolution is about working on instilling ideas on young people until they appreciate these ideas.
“One day, when the youth of Kayamnandi stand up and go into that farm in Stellenbosch, they will be speaking about us the same way we speak about Onkgopotse Tiro,” said Malema.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel stated these comments were clear evidence of Malema and the EFF ignoring the court order.
“This case is about the rule of law. AfriForum pursued this matter through the courts precisely because we believe that the rule of law applies to everyone.
“It cannot be that ordinary citizens are bound by court orders, while certain political parties and political leaders regard themselves as above the law and can openly disregard court orders without consequence,” Kriel stated.
‘A regressive verdict’
The EFF’s Sinawo Thambo was contacted for comment on AfriForum’s latest court action, and will be added if forthcoming.
Malema and his party challenged the court order all the way to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) and Constitutional Court, who both dismissed the EFF’s attempts.
The party had previously expressed its dissatisfaction with the courts and AfriForum when the SCA dismissed its application back in June 2023.
“AfriForum’s pursuit of this interdict is marred by frivolous motives rooted in white supremacist, racist, and anti-black ideologies.
“It has been made abundantly clear how the courts themselves are captured by the white establishment.
“A regressive verdict of this nature clearly reveals how the courts, if left unchallenged or unreviewed within the confines of the courtroom, must be fiercely confronted and contested in the streets, employing any means necessary,” the party stated.
Kriel stood firm on his organisation’s pursuit of Malema and his party.
“AfriForum will continue to fight for equality before the law by, among other things, using legal action to ensure that those who break the law with impunity are held accountable,” Kriel stated.
