Cape Town - The victory for the Economic
Freedom Fighters in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday showed that South
Africa was still a constitutional democracy, their lawyer said.
Julius Malema's opposition party won its
appeal against a parliamentary ruling that it was wrong to say the ANC
government killed people at Marikana.
The Western Cape High Court set aside a
ruling by National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise against the
EFF on June 19 last year, when she said it was an unparliamentary statement to
make.
The High Court also set aside her order
that the EFF must withdraw the statement.
'Win for democracy'
“What this says, it gives a message to the
public that irrespective of how formidable a political organisation is, this is
a constitutional democracy and everything must be done in accordance,” said EFF
lawyer Luvuyo Godla after the court ruling.
Modise’s ruling last June overshadowed
President Jacob Zuma’s response to the state of the nation debate.
A defiant Malema insisted at the time he
would not withdraw his statement that “the ANC government massacred the people
in Marikana”.
The statement led to the EFF’s walkout as
Modise ruled that it was unparliamentary because it implied the government,
which is made up of MPs, was guilty of murder and ordered Malema to withdraw
it.
