GAUTENG. – Helen Zille's attorneys have rejected all claims from EFF leader Julius Malema's legal team on behalf of her and the DA, including his demand that she retract her statements about him and apologise publicly.
Minde Schapiro & Smith Inc. confirmed receipt of Malema's demand letter of nine November and wrote: "The answer to all your client's demands is: No. See you in court." The firm asked that any court application be served on them by email. Zille wrote on Facebook: "No."
Angelike Charalambous, attorney at England Slabbert Attorneys Inc., writes in Malema's demand letter that Zille claimed in an interview on Sunday eight November that he had influenced decisions in the City of Johannesburg during Herman Mashaba's term as mayor. The statements related to City Power, the city's vehicle fleet tender and the appointment of Shadrack Sibiya as head of the city's anti-corruption unit.
The EFF shared the demand letter on social media and described the allegations as false and defamatory. Malema's legal team gave Zille until close of business on Wednesday eleven November to retract her statements, apologise publicly, issue a formal media statement and undertake in writing not to repeat the allegations. The legal team warned that further legal steps could include a claim for damages and an application for an interdict against further publication.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
