Pretoria - The EFF lecture in memory of the late Struggle icon Solomon Mahlangu will go ahead on Saturday at the University of Pretoria’s Mamelodi campus - and the party has warned it will not tolerate any disruptions.
“We will defend our rights,” EFF national spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi told the Pretoria News on Friday at the high court in Pretoria.
The court had just overturned an order it made earlier in the morning, which interdicted EFF leader Julius Malema from going ahead with the lecture.
There was confusion when Malema arrived in court after the interdict was granted. He first waited in an adjacent court room, out of the public eye, for his counsel to arrive.
The matter stood down until 2pm when it was supposed to be heard in open court. But the parties approached the judge in chambers where the order was overturned.
Chief Lucas Mahlangu and the Solomon Mahlangu Family Trust had turned to the court and secured an order that the lecture may not go ahead unless the EFF secured permission from the family in this regard.
The EFF was also interdicted from promoting the memorial lecture in any promotional material that bore the name and image of the late Solomon Mahlangu. This had been done in the absence of any opposition.
However, the order was overturned about two hours later, when Malema arrived at the court and objected.
Malema, through his lawyer, told Judge Anneli Basson that papers regarding the urgent application were not properly served on him or his party.
While the Mahlangu family said they did everything according to the book, Ndlozi said they never disrespected any one in deciding on holding the memorial lecture.
Gideon Mahlangu, spokesman for the Mahlangu family, said: “Julius Malema is a disrespectful young man.
“He thinks he can control the country. Why can he not respect the wishes of the Mahlangu family; He is using the late Solomon Mahlangu as an election tool. “Malema must know our family is not happy. Solomon Mahlangu must turn in his grave. But we will not disrupt his meeting.”
Mahlangu said the family was very disappointed the court overturned the earlier order.
* Mahlangu, an Umkhonto weSizwe cadre, was convicted of murder and hanged in 1979.
Pretoria News
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