Pretoria - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and its leader Julius Malema on Wednesday lost two cases brought against them by Afriforum in the North Gauteng High Court and could lose office equipment including computers if the sheriff carries out the order to auction them off.
Malema and his party have also been ordered to pay costs.
The cost orders came up to five from AfriForum’s lawsuit since March 2017 relating to efforts to obtain an interdict to prevent Malema and his EFF from inciting people to occupy land illegally.
AfriForum obtained a warrant on November 1 from the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria to seize movable assets of Malema and the EFF to pay an owed amount of R337 758.68.
On Wednesday, it emerged that Malema and the EFF had failed to file opposing papers.
The EFF was also unsuccessful in trying to stop the sheriff from removing and auctioning off their assets located at the party's offices in Braamfontein. Dismissing their request for an interdict to stop the action, the judge ruled the matter was not urgent.
AfriForum obtained a warrant on November 1 to seize movable assets to pay an amount of R337 758.68 owed to them by Malema and the EFF.
EFF's legal representative Thembeka Ngcukaitobi argued that Afriforum must undertake not to have the sheriff sell their assets without proper notice.
He said that the notice should be in writing.
However, after court proceedings came to an end Afriforum CEO Kallie Kriel told reporters that his organisation would not immediately issue directives to the sheriff to attach items at the EFF's offices.
"We will consider our position after discussions with our legal team, we have given an undertaking that will enter into discussion with the EFF's legal team," said Kriel.
On Tuesday, Kriel took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce that Malema had paid an amount of R126,703.59 into Afriforum's bank account. The amount paid was about half of what was due.
"This amount was due after a judge gave a punitive cost order against Malema and the EFF in favour of AfriForum on 12 September 2017," Kriel tweeted.
To which Malema responded on tweeter: "I won't afford that, stop lying."
Kriel disputed Malema's statement and said he has paid the money.
"We have received a letter from Mr Malema and the EFF's attorney that the payment was made, the proof is there, either Mr Malema is lying or he simply doesn't know what is going on in his own party or in regard to what his legal team is doing," Kriel said.
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