Court bars EFF from inciting people to damage statues

Pretoria - The EFF and its leaders were on Tuesday interdicted in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria from inciting its members and the public from defacing, removing or destroying any national heritage monuments or statues.

The urgent court order granted by Judge Eben Jordaan followed an application by the Solidarity Movement Trust, which aims at protecting the Afrikaner community and Afrikaans language community.

The EFF, which recently had to fight a number of legal battles, did not oppose the application.

The court order specifically interdicted EFF leader Julius Malema, national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and the deputy chairperson of the EFF’s Tshwane chapter Moafrika Mabongwana from inciting any EFF member or the public from defacing, removing, destroying or damaging any national heritage monuments or statues which relates to the Afrikaner history and culture.

Beneficiaries of the Solidarity Movement Trust include AfriForum, the FAK, Maroela Media and the Solidarity trade union.

Solidarity trustee Dirk Hermann said in an affidavit that the actions of the EFF and its leaders had given rise to, and further aggravated, racial tension and polarisation in the country.

“This result is contrary to the spirit and provision of the Constitution and extremely detrimental to the stated aims thereof.

“It is… in the public interest that the respondents’ incitement be interdicted to enable a national and constructive dialogue on the issues of our collective history, race and the place of heritage monuments and statues.

“…Heritage resources have lasting value in their own right and provide evidence of the origins of South African society and as they are valuable, finite, non-renewable and irreplaceable they must be carefully managed to ensure their survival.

“Every generation has a moral responsibility to act as trustee of the national heritage for succeeding generations and the State has an obligation to manage heritage resources in the interest of all South Africans.

“Heritage resources have the capacity to promote reconciliation, understanding and respect and contribute to the development of a unifying South African identity.

“Heritage resources management must guard against the use of heritage for sectarian purposes or political gain.

“… [They] contribute significantly to research, education and tourism and they must be developed and presented for these purposes in a way that ensures dignity and respect for cultural values,” Hermann said.