- Malema’s lawyers want Zille to retract her allegations, apologise publicly and promise not to repeat them.
- The dispute follows an interview in which Zille accused Herman Mashaba of allowing Malema to influence city decisions to keep him in power.
EFF leader Julius Malema has given Helen Zille until Wednesday to withdraw allegations that he controlled key decisions in Johannesburg during Herman Mashaba’s time as mayor.
His lawyers, England Slabbert Attorneys, sent a letter dated 9 November demanding a public apology and threatening legal action if she does not comply.
The EFF published the demand on its official Facebook page.
The letter targets statements made during an interview on Sunday, 8 November, in which Zille discussed her troubled relationship with Mashaba.
During an interview with eNCA on Sunday 08 November, Zille alleged that Mashaba depended on EFF support to remain mayor and allowed Malema to influence major municipal decisions.
The lawyers’ letter quotes her alleging that Malema dictated decisions involving City Power and the city’s fleet tender for the benefit of himself and his “front companies”.
Zille also allegedly said Mashaba appointed Shadrack Sibiya to head Johannesburg’s anti-corruption unit at Malema’s instruction.
According to the letter, Zille claimed that when she objected, Mashaba told her this was the price of staying in power.
Malema’s lawyers reject the allegations as “vexatious, misplaced, spurious and untrue”.
They say the statements portray him as corrupt and suggest he uses political influence to control public institutions and procurement for his own benefit.
The lawyers want Zille to publish a retraction and apology on her social media accounts and circulate a formal statement to news organisations.
They also demand approval of the statement before publication and a written undertaking that she will not repeat the allegations.
The deadline is close of business on Wednesday, 11 November.
If she does not comply, the lawyers say they have instructions to pursue further legal action, including a damages claim and an interdict to prevent further publication.
The letter does not specify an amount for damages.
The confrontation comes amid a battle over Johannesburg’s next mayor. The Sunday Times reported on 8 November that ActionSA wanted the DA to drop Zille as its mayoral candidate and support Mashaba instead.
Zille had not responded to the demand at the time of publication.
