AfriBusiness and AfriForum successfully opposed a rescission application by Julius Malema and the EFF in the High Court. The business and civil rights watchdogs were also accorded a cost order against Malema and the EFF, which includes the costs for two advocates.
“Acting judge Nathan rejected the EFF and Malema’s rescission application with the result that the case was settled in AfriForum and AfriBusiness’s favour. We will not hesitate to act against Malema and members of the EFF, should they incite people to grab land in future,” says Tarien Cooks, AfriForum’s Manager: Support Services.
This court battle follows after AfriBusiness and AfriForum were accorded a court order on 7 March 2017 to ratify a final interdict against the EFF and Malema prohibiting them from inciting the public to occupy land illegally. AfriBusiness obtained a similar order against the organisation Black First Land First (BLF) on 6 December 2017.
In today’s proceedings, the EFF and Malema’s legal representatives did not even show up at court to advocate their side of the story, which is odd as they had brought the rescission application.
This means that AfriBusiness now has an interdict against the EFF, the BLF as well as the respective spokespeople of these organisations which prohibits them from making statements to incite people to occupy land illegally.
“AfriBusiness and AfriForum obtained an enormous victory, and so did the people of South Africa who own private property. AfriBusiness will continue to protect property rights and to intervene should the Constitution and especially the sections that protect private property rights be put in jeopardy,” says Armand Greyling, Law and Policy Analyst at AfriBusiness.