Up to 3 000 EFF supporters are expected outside a Limpopo court were the party’s leader will be appearing.
|||Polokwane - The prosecution will call 60 witnesses in the fraud and corruption trial of Julius Malema, scheduled to start in the Limpopo Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
And while the Economic Freedom Fighters leader is in the dock, his supporters will gather outside the court.
The party has reportedly been given permission for only 20 people to picket outside the court, but up to 3 000 supporters were expected, according to the party’s deputy provincial co-ordinator, Jossie Buthane.
Malema and his business partner, Lesiba Gwangwa, along with Kagisho Dichabe, Helen Moreroa and Makgetsi Manthatha, are accused of fraudulently securing a R52 million Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport contract in 2009 to run its project management unit.
The five face charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering.
Malema is out on R10 000 bail, while his co-accused were each released on R40 000 bail.
Their trial is scheduled to run for the next two weeks, until November 29.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube said he felt a week would not be enough for 60 witnesses.
The witness list included officials from the Limpopo government and expert witnesses, he said. The State would only receive a witness list from the defence at the close of the State’s case.
Media requests to televise the trial meant there would also be preliminary issues, Mncube added.
“There is no indication that things will not go according to plan,” he said, adding that the authority would not deal with security issues, which were the responsibility of the Justice Department and the court manager.
Buthane told the Weekend Argus sister title The Sunday Independent: “We have given them notice to picket. We are not disrespecting that, but we are all going to be there.”
- Sunday Argus