THE DA has announced it will lay criminal charges against EFF leader Julius Malema and former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and his sons Edward and Duduzane.
DA MP Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach on Tuesday said the official opposition would lay charges of incitement to violence against Malema and the three Zuma siblings.
Breytenbach said that since Zuma handed himself over to police, Zuma-Sambudla has posted a number of tweets on Twitter that encourage and incite the violence and looting that have destabilised KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and since spread to other parts of the country.
Zuma-Sambudla’s elder brother, Edward Zuma, said last week that law enforcement agencies planning to arrest their father would have to go through him.
Breytenbach said the comments were both inflammatory and reckless.
”For his part, Malema threatened to join the anarchy on the streets if the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is deployed. He likened the deployment to a declaration war against civilians instead of an attempt to maintain law and order,” she said.
Breytenbach added that she was deeply disturbed by Malema’s racially charged remarks about the Indian community that have the potential to incite further racial tensions.
Both Zuma-Sambudla and Malema have millions of followers on Twitter between them who could perceive these statements as literal, Breytenbach said.
She urged the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and Police Minister Bheki Cele to act against Zuma’s children and Malema to ensure that they are investigated criminally for incitement to commit violence and their talk of war.
“We cannot allow anyone to get away with this kind of reckless behaviour and make such sweeping statements with impunity.
“Failure to act will only embolden the Zumas and Malema to say and do what they want with no fear of consequence. The NPA and SA Police Service need to act against them now,” said Breytenbach.
One of Cosatu’s affiliates, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), has called on other provinces to take serious contingency measures to prevent any potential for similar anarchy and for law enforcement agencies to avoid unnecessary deaths resulting from their interventions.