EASTERN CAPE – Eastern Cape premier and ANC provincial chair Oscar Mabuyane has opened a defamation case against EFF leader Julius Malema after he alleged that Mabuyane had fraudulently obtained a master’s degree from the University of Fort Hare.
Malema was addressing EFF supporters outside the magistrate’s court in KuGompo City on Thursday.
The ANC in the Eastern Cape on Thursday evening welcomed the defamation case and strongly condemned “the clearly orchestrated attack by the cult leader on ANC voters on the sidelines of KuGompo magistrate’s court today”.
“Julius is hell-bent to use vilification and slander to attack Mabuyane knowing very well that the UFH matter is still sub-judice and in court,” ANC provincial spokesperson Yanga Zicina said.
“The continuous onslaught and uncouth behaviour by Malema on the ANC voters and the ANC itself is indicative of his deepening desperation for votes," Zicina added. "His cult movement has failed to convince the electorate of their policies; they have nothing to offer except continuous insults on the intelligence of the people of this province and attacks on their leadership."
Zicina said Malema had to accept that SA is a democratic country where people freely elected leaders of their choice.
“In the 2024 national and provincial elections, our people exercised this right and reaffirmed their confidence in the ANC as the organisation with the track record, capacity and commitment to move South Africa and the province forward,” Zicina said. The ANC also pointed to recent by-election victories as a sign of continued support.
“We will at all material times defend our people’s hard-won democracy and protect it against those who are clearly working relentlessly to undermine it and cause anarchy," Zicina concluded.
The defamation case is likely to escalate political tensions between the ANC and EFF in the Eastern Cape, particularly as allegations surrounding the University of Fort Hare continue to surface. The legal battle will be closely watched as it unfolds, with potential implications for both Mabuyane's and Malema's political futures.
