Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has taken legal action against former Ukhozi FM personality Ngizwe Mchunu, demanding both a public apology and R1 million in damages following serious allegations made against him.
The dispute stems from claims by Mchunu that Malema received R60 million from Nigerian drug dealers. These remarks, made during an interview at an anti-illegal immigration protest in Pretoria, have since circulated widely on social media platforms.
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Malema’s legal representatives have moved swiftly, issuing a formal letter accusing Mchunu of making defamatory statements that have harmed the EFF leader’s reputation.
Legal Action Intensifies Over Defamation Against Julius Malema
According to the letter from England Slabert Attorneys INC, Mchunu’s allegations are “neither true nor in the public interest” and were made with the intention of damaging Malema’s standing.
“It has come to our client’s attention that you have recently made defamatory statements regarding our client,” the legal team stated.
They further emphasised that the claims, which have gained traction on platforms such as X and TikTok, are “malicious and are calculated to undermine the good name of our client”.
The lawyers argued that Mchunu’s remarks portray Malema in a highly negative light, suggesting he is “a criminal, a fraudster, dishonest and lacks integrity; hypocritical and deliberately misrepresents his true character and conduct to the public, opportunistic and acts solely in his own personal interests rather than in the interests of the public or his constituents, deceitful and manipulative in his political conduct, lacks the necessary moral fibre, independence, and ethical standards required of a public and political leader and is untrustworthy and unfit to hold public office.”
Political Motives Alleged Ahead Of Local Elections
Malema’s legal team also claimed that the timing of the statements is significant, suggesting they were made to influence public perception ahead of upcoming local government elections.
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“Not only were your comments defamatory, but they were made deliberately to extract political leverage in the build-up to the upcoming local government elections,” the letter reads.
They added that the statements were intended to erode public trust in both Malema and the EFF, potentially impacting voter support.
“Your defamatory statements were intended to cause the public to lose faith in our client and the EFF and this is done in an attempt to cause maximum reputational damage to both our client and the EFF in the attempt to decrease voter support and votes for the EFF in the upcoming local government elections.”
Demand For Immediate Retraction And Compensation
The legal letter demands that Mchunu issue an immediate public retraction and apology across all his social media platforms, including Facebook, X, TikTok and Instagram, as well as through a formal press statement.
“Your retraction is to take the form of a public statement in which you, inter alia: apologise to our client for the allegations made; you retract the statements made against our client on account of them being untrue and defamatory of our client,” the lawyers stated.
They further warned that failure to comply within 24 hours would result in legal proceedings, including a claim for damages and a possible punitive costs order.
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“The reach of your defamatory statements is therefore extensive, has caused, and continues to cause, our client significant reputational damage. For as long as it remains online, this worsens.”
Mchunu, a supporter of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, has yet to publicly respond to the legal demands.
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