Malema's lawyers demand Zille retract defamatory Joburg claims

Comment Image: Adobe Stock Image: Adobe Stock Malema's lawyers demand Zille retract defamatory Joburg claims This over claims by DA Joburg MC that EFF leader had dictated major decisions to Mayor Herman Mashaba after 2016 England Slabbert Attorneys 10 November 2026 Comment RE: DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS MADE AGAINST MR JULIUS MALEMA ON X DURING AN INTERVIEW 9 November 2026 Our Ref: ECO1/0081 Date: 9 November 2026 THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE ATTENTION: MS HELEN ZILLE Dear Ms Zille, 1.

The above refers. 2. We confirm that we act on behalf of Mr Julius Malema, the President and Commander in Chief of the Economic Freedom Fighters (“the EFF”) (“our client”).

3. It has come to our client’s attention that you have recently made defamatory statements regarding our client. These defamatory statements were made on Sunday, 8 November 2026 and are now repeated in various media articles, X posts and the like.

The interview can be accessed at the following link: https://x.com/ali_naka/status/2119491664536359380?s=48 4. Such defamatory statements include, but are not limited to: “...He (Herman Mashaba ) became the EFF’s mayor. He allowed Julius Malema to dictate major decisions and capture...

City Power, and dictate the fleet tender and do all kinds of things that were in the interest of Julius Malema and his front companies, because Herman wanted to stay in power and he need[ed] Julius Malema’s support to do that. He even appointed Shadrack Sibiya as the head of the ant[i]-corruption unit at Julius’s instruction and when I said to him we can’t do that and he said to me that is the price we pay to stay in power...” 5.

Read in their ordinary meaning and in the context of the interview as a whole, these statements assert, as fact, that our client: 5.1 dictated major decisions to the then Mayor and captured City Power; 5.2 dictated the fleet tender in the interests of himself and his “front companies”; and 5.3 instructed the appointment of Mr Shadrack Sibiya as head of the anti-corruption unit.

6. Your defamatory statements (above), as made in the interview aforementioned and as reported in subsequent media, are deliberately meant to impugn the integrity and good name of our client by stating, alternatively suggesting or implying, that: 6.1 He is dishonest and lacks integrity; 6.2 He is corrupt and improperly associated with individuals for ulterior or unlawful purposes; 6.3 He abuses his political influence to unlawfully control public bodies and public procurement processes, including by capturing City Power and dictating the fleet tender; 6.4 He uses his position to benefit himself and his “front companies”; 6.5 He interferes with anti-corruption structures by procuring appointments to them at his own instruction, so as to avoid scrutiny of himself and his associates; 6.6 He is deceitful and manipulative in his political conduct; 6.7 He lacks the necessary moral fibre, independence, and ethical standards required of a public and political leader; 6.8 He is untrustworthy and unfit to hold public office.

7. Your allegations are vexatious, misplaced, spurious and untrue. 8.

Your statements are not expressions of opinion, but allegations of fact for which you have furnished no basis. They have been published to the public at large on a widely accessible platform and republished in the media, and are calculated to cause serious harm to the good name and reputation of our client as a public and political figure.

9. We are furthermore instructed that your making these defamatory statements is done deliberately to exact political revenge on our client and the EFF. The defamatory statements are made in an attempt to seek your revenge against our client for being your strongest opposition nationwide, other than the ANC in the political sphere.

10. We are instructed that, as such, your conduct is mala fides and done because you are disgruntled and are attempting to cause the EFF and Mr Malema maximum political damage. 11.

In light of the above, we hereby demand that: 11.1 you retract the statements made against our client; 11.2 your retraction is to take the form of a public statement in which you, inter alia : 11.2.1 retract the statements made against our client on account of them being untrue and defamatory of our client; and 11.2.2 apologise to our client for the allegations made; 11.3 the public statement is to be shared by you on all your social media accounts, including but not limited to Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram; 11.4 the public statement is to be issued as a press statement in your name.

To that end: 11.4.1 it must be sent by you to all media houses with which you have a relationship; 11.4.2 the EFF will also distribute your public statement via its Communications Department to all the media houses whose contact details it possesses; 11.5 the form and content of the public statement is to be submitted to us for approval before it is published; and 11.6 the form and content of the public statement is to be submitted to us for approval before it is published; and 11.7 you undertake in writing not to repeat or republish the statements, or any statements to the same effect, in future.

12. The demands in paragraph 11 above are to be given effect to by close of business on Wednesday, 11 November 2026 . 13.

Should you fail to do so, we hold instructions to institute further legal action against you, without further notice, including a claim for damages and an interdict restraining any further publication of the statements. 14. All our client’s rights are expressly reserved.

Yours faithfully Angelike Charalambous ENGLAND SLABBERT ATTORNEYS INC Issued by Angelike Charalambous, England Slabbert Attorneys Inc, on behalf of Julius Malema, 9 November 2026