Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema is currently embroiled in a high-stakes defamation battle with Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene. What started as a dispute over a podcast interview quickly escalated into a scandal involving midnight farm visits, black Louis Vuitton bags filled with cash, and expensive bottles of Macallan whisky.
As the court date on April 14 approaches, the "Sushi King" stands firm, supported by sworn affidavits from witnesses who claim to have seen the EFF leader paying "tributes" to a feared taxi boss.The conflict stems from a 19 February interview on the popular Podcast and Chill with MacG, where Kunene—who has a long-running and bitter history with Malema—claimed that the EFF leader was effectively under the “command or service” of the late Jotham “Mswazi” Msibi. Msibi, who died in January 2024, was a notorious figure described in court papers as a taxi boss allegedly connected to underworld cartels, drug trafficking, and even political assassinations.
Malema, a Member of Parliament and leader of South Africa’s third-largest political party, promptly filed a defamation lawsuit, arguing that Kunene’s comments were false and severely damaging to his reputation. According to Malema, the suggestion that he would drive to Msibi’s farm at 2am. implies he is a criminal puppet incapable of independent thought.
“A reasonable listener will be left with the impression that my alleged close association with Mr. Mswazi means that I acted immediately on Mr. Mswazi’s instructions. The reasonable listener will also be left with the impression that I am incapable of my own independent thought and actions. A reasonable listener will also be led to believe that, as a member of Parliament, I am dishonest and I engage in criminal conduct,” he said.However, Kunene has responded with explosive evidence. He has produced sworn statements from two witnesses: Tshepo Molekoa, who describes himself as Msibi’s former chef and right-hand man, and a mysterious individual known only as “Witness A.” Both claim to have witnessed Malema visiting Msibi’s heavily fortified Uvivi Lodge farm compound in the Dinokeng Game Reserve under cover of darkness.Molekoa’s affidavit is especially detailed, describing a specific visit in April 2023 when he claims to have seen Malema deliver a significant financial tribute.
“This transaction was an unambiguous delivery of a substantial cash tribute to a feared… figure. The inclusion of the Macallan whisky was a clear, calculated gesture of respect and tribute from [Malema], demonstrating his intimate knowledge of [Msibi’s] specific personal preferences and his willingness to offer luxury goods alongside monetary payments.”According to Molekoa, Malema arrived with a black Louis Vuitton bag containing R80,000 in cash and the premium whisky. He claims to have witnessed at least seven such visits, while Witness A reports observing five.Witness A’s testimony adds a chilling layer to the allegations, describing the "operational culture" at the Msibi estate. He claims that while daytime visits were for standard taxi business, the hours after midnight were strictly reserved for "clandestine operations" and "high-level underworld consultations."
“It was highly irregular and deeply alarming to see a national political leader, a member of Parliament, and the head of a major political party arriving at an armed compound in the dead of night. If the applicant’s relationship with [Msibi] was merely a casual, innocent friendship, there would be no logical reason to conduct these visits under cover of darkness, hidden from public and media scrutiny. The nocturnal nature of the visits clearly indicated that [Malema] was engaging in activities he desperately wished to conceal.”Further, Witness A alleged that Malema continued to deliver these "tributes" even as Msibi’s health declined toward the end of 2023.
“Even as the taxi boss’ health deteriorated, [Malema] returned to the compound to deliver another bag. This demonstrated to me that [Malema] was deeply entangled in a relationship of ongoing financial obligation or dependency, maintaining his tribute payments even as the recipient lay dying,” he said.Malema’s legal team quickly dismissed these affidavits, arguing they lack "material particularity" and questioning their admissibility. They point out that Molekoa does not specify his period of employment and that Witness A remains unidentified, which they argue makes it impossible for Malema to mount an adequate defense.Interestingly, Kunene’s court documents also highlighted a potentially embarrassing omission by Malema. While the EFF leader denied any close association with Msibi, Kunene attached a (now deleted) social media post showing Malema delivering a warm eulogy at Msibi’s funeral in January 2024.
According to Kunene: “In the presence of hundreds of mourners, [Malema] explicitly and warmly referred to Mr. Msibi as a close friend. Crucially, [Malema] openly admitted during his speech that Mr. Msibi would often telephone him late at night, and [he] spoke fondly of these midnight communications.”The fallout from these allegations has reached the Madlanga Commission, which is investigating links between underworld figures and high-ranking officials. Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels confirmed they are monitoring the developments closely.As the legal teams prepare for a case management meeting to address the issue of Witness A’s anonymity, the public is left wondering: was Julius Malema truly a friend to a "taxi tycoon," or was he, as Kunene suggests, a man under the sway of a feared underworld boss? With Malema set to file a formal response this Tuesday, the stage is set for one of the most explosive courtroom battles in recent South African history.
The root of the conflict lies in a 19 February interview on the popular Podcast and Chill with MacG, where Kunene—who has a long and bitter history with Malema—claimed that the EFF leader was effectively at the “command or service” of the late Jotham “Mswazi” Msibi. Msibi, who passed away in January 2024, was a notorious figure described in court papers as a taxi boss allegedly linked to underworld cartels, drug trafficking, and even political assassinations.
Malema, a Member of Parliament and head of South Africa’s third-largest political party, was quick to launch an urgent defamation lawsuit, arguing that Kunene’s comments were not only false but deeply damaging to his reputation. According to Malema, the suggestion that he would drive to Msibi’s farm at 02:00 in the morning implies he is a criminal puppet incapable of independent thought.
“A reasonable listener will be left with the impression that my alleged close association with Mr Mswazi means that I acted immediately on Mr Mswazi’s instructions. The reasonable listener will also be left with the impression that I am incapable of my own independent thought and actions. A reasonable listener will also be led to believe that, as a member of Parliament, I am dishonest and I engage in criminal conduct,” he said.
However, Kunene has hit back with explosive evidence. He has produced sworn statements from two witnesses: Tshepo Molekoa, who describes himself as Msibi’s former chef and right-hand man, and a mysterious individual known only as “Witness A.” Both claim to have witnessed Malema visiting Msibi’s heavily fortified Uvivi Lodge farm compound in the Dinokeng Game Reserve under the cover of darkness.
Molekoa’s affidavit is particularly detailed, describing a specific visit in April 2023 where he claims to have seen Malema deliver a substantial financial tribute.
“This transaction was an unambiguous delivery of a substantial cash tribute to a feared… figure. The inclusion of the Macallan whisky was a clear, calculated gesture of respect and tribute from [Malema], demonstrating his intimate knowledge of [Msibi’s] specific personal preferences and his willingness to offer luxury goods alongside financial payments.”
According to Molekoa, Malema arrived with a black Louis Vuitton bag containing R80,000 in cash and the premium whisky. He claims to have witnessed at least seven such visits, while Witness A reports observing five.
Witness A’s testimony adds a chilling layer to the allegations, describing the "operational culture" of the Msibi estate. He claims that while daytime visits were for standard taxi business, the hours after midnight were strictly reserved for "clandestine operations" and "high-level underworld consultations."
“It was highly irregular and deeply alarming to see a national political leader, a member of Parliament, and the head of a major political party arriving at an armed compound in the dead of night. If the applicant’s relationship with [Msibi] was merely a casual, innocent friendship, there would be no logical reason to conduct these visits under the cover of darkness, hidden away from the scrutiny of the public and the media. The nocturnal nature of the visits clearly indicated that [Malema] was engaging in activities he desperately wished to conceal.”
Witness A further alleged that Malema continued to deliver these "tributes" even as Msibi’s health deteriorated towards the end of 2023.
“Even as the taxi boss’ health deteriorated, [Malema] returned to the compound to deliver another bag. This demonstrated to me that [Malema] was deeply entangled in a relationship of ongoing financial obligation or dependency, maintaining his tribute payments even as the recipient lay dying,” he said.
Malema’s legal team has been quick to dismiss these affidavits, arguing that they lack "material particularity" and questioning their admissibility. They point out that Molekoa does not specify his employment period and that Witness A remains unidentified, which they argue makes it impossible for Malema to properly defend himself.
Interestingly, Kunene’s court papers also highlighted a potentially embarrassing omission by Malema. While the EFF leader denied any close association with Msibi, Kunene attached a (now deleted) social media post showing Malema delivering a warm eulogy at Msibi’s funeral in January 2024.
According to Kunene: “In the presence of hundreds of mourners, [Malema] explicitly and warmly referred to Mr Msibi as a close friend. Crucially, [Malema] openly admitted during his speech that Mr Msibi would frequently telephone him late at night, and [he] spoke fondly of these midnight communications.”
The fallout from these allegations has reached the Madlanga Commission, which is investigating links between underworld figures and high-ranking officials. Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels confirmed they are noting the developments with interest.
As the legal teams prepare for a case management meeting to address the issue of Witness A’s anonymity, the public is left wondering: was Julius Malema truly a friend to a "taxi tycoon," or was he, as Kunene suggests, a man under the thumb of a feared underworld boss? With Malema set to file a formal response this Tuesday, the stage is set for one of the most explosive courtroom battles in recent South African history.
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