*This article has been updated
Johannesburg - Two prominent South Africans were arrested for speeding in separate incidents on Thursday night.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema was arrested for speeding in the Vaal, while Afrikaans musician Steve Hofmeyr was arrested in Bronkhorstspruit for the same offence.
Malema was held overnight and released on Friday morning just after 3am on R5000 bail, while Hofmeyr was given bail of R500 on Thursday night. Malema was expected to appear in the Vereeniging Magistrate's Court on Friday. Callers to a combined 702/CapeTalk broadcast on Friday morning were outraged at what they said was race-based discrimination. Host Xolani Gwala pointed out that it was not clear why the two cases had been treated differently.
Malema was travelling along the N1 in the early evening on Thursday when members of the Gauteng traffic police spotted his BMW 5 series speeding towards Joburg.
There were two woman and another man in the charcoal BMW 530d, traffic police said.
The officers captured three separate readings of him travelling at between 190 and 215km/h in a 120km/h zone. After pulling him over, officers had to show Malema and his three passengers the footage before they would accompany them.
The Star was told at the Barrage police station that Malema had co-operated fully and allowed officers to drive his vehicle back to the police station.
Two
of Malema’s passengers tried to tell officers not to speak to the media, but both men were told that if they continued with their threats, they would be arrested.
Hofmeyr was arrested on the N4 eastbound for allegedly speeding in the Bronkhorstspruit area while rushing to a concert at the Badplaas resort.
Police officers on the scene claimed Hofmeyr reached speeds of almost 170km/h in a 80km/h zone in his black Chrysler. “We recorded a speed of 169km/h on the N4 East near the Wilgerivier off-ramp,” Tshwane metro police spokesman Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said.
Hofmeyr will appear in court on Monday.
On Twitter:
@steve_hofmeyr: Hier is plek vir net een tronkvoël in hierdie tronksel, Julius. Skuif op vetgat. (There is only place for one jailbird in this cell, Julius. Move over fat ass).
@GarethCliff: Julius arrested for speeding. Shem! Uzoba strong bra?? I know the feeling...
@JoshwinsJoseph:#Malema! Driving at 215km/h! definitely running away from the Hawks, tax, auctioneers, ANC, media, child support. Eish!
@Lwazi_DaChosen1: Malema is going to blame white people for his high speed arrest! Smh
@MasekoLebogang: What kind of car does Julius ‘Fast and Furious’ Malema drive? If it wasn’t fancy then I #BlameTheAnc. LOL!!
@kuberkoos: Julius Malema was caught driving under the influence of socialism.
@mdokha: RT @SITHOLEEXPRESS: #Malema’s ‘Fast & Furious’, Akhona’s ‘How to steal a Panado?’ I hope the ‘fire pool’ will help burn the docket.
@gussilber: Julius Malema arrested for driving at 215km/h. That’s about 6 500 Socialist Revolutions Per Minute, according to my calc.
@ejaz_k: Must be torture for both #JuliusMalema and #stevehofmeyr to see their names trending together and in the same sentence. LOL good.
@ANN7Reporter: In the latest race war, Julius Malema has beaten Steve Hofmeyr. By about 20 kilometres an hour.
The Star and Sapa