In hot water for hosting Malema

2012-10-21 19:48

Cathy Dlodlo, City Press

Bloemfontein - A Free State municipality has laid a charge against one of its own officials and two other men who organised a rally during which former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema addressed striking mine workers.

Malema addressed strikers from Goldfields’ Beatrix mine at the Virginia Stadium last week Tuesday.

During his speech, he told the strikers that when the Matjhabeng local municipality established he would be speaking, it tried to retract permission for the stadium to be used for the gathering.

Miner Rasetso Montsioa, who organised the rally together with his colleague Mohau Molise, told City Press they got written permission from the municipality five days before the event to use the stadium without any charge.

“It was only on Tuesday morning, hours before Malema was due to arrive, that we encountered some problems,” said Montsioa.

“We hired a tent, but when they wanted to enter the stadium to put up the tent, the security would not let them in.”

He said they then phoned some local councillors who assured him that they could go ahead with the meeting if they had the necessary permission.
Montsioa said the municipal official who is being investigated was not even involved in organising the event.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Malebo Khosana said the police were investigating a case under the Gatherings Act.

The suspects have not been formally charged.

“A docket was compiled and we have sent it to the National Prosecuting Authority for a decision. The docket was returned with some follow-up questions,” Khosana said.

- City Press