Watch: Julius Malema’s court outburst over magistrate’s late coming

by Bongiwe Mati

EFF Chief in Command (CIC) Julius Malema was not having it after being kept in court waiting by East London’s magistrate Twanet Olivier who, according to him, has been late on all their court dates for the past five years.

In a video shared by the above-mentioned political party, an annoyed Julius addresses the magistrate’s late coming to those in court saying it was nonsense and a total disrespect.

He shared:

“We’ve been here for five years, she’s never early in this court, and no one has ever written an article about that. She’s not above the law, she’s not the law. She has a duty to respect us. This is unacceptable, we have two hours today, if anything we should have started here on time. Justice must never be delayed. Never!”

The CIC continued:

“This is the absolute rubbish we must never stand for, if it makes it prison, let it be prison, but no one must disrespect us like that, no one! No magistrate, no prosecutor must disrespect us like that, and we keep quiet. She has never been early to any court. We must not talk because we are scared of going to jail, for being disrespected. It can’t be, we have rights, and our rights must be respected. It’s load shedding, we’re starting at 11, it doesn’t matter what time you start, you start at 1, you start at 2 she’s going to be late, and then no one must talk about it.

“Five years we’ve been here; she has never been on time. No journalist has ever written about that, not a single journalist has ever spoken about her ill-discipline of coming to court. Two hours today, if anything we should have been here all of us on time because we don’t have time, there’s load shedding.”

He finished off saying:

I’m not that type to keep quite when nonsense happens, nonsense is nonsense, I don’t care who is doing it whether it’s a judge or a magistrate, it’s absolute rubbish its unacceptable. We’ve been too quiet, for five years we’ve been subjected to this nonsense of disrespect, can’t be disrespected like that.”

After a clear notification of the CIC’s concerns, the magistrate commented:

“In respect of accused one and two, you were warned for 08:30 seemingly we have lights at nine o’clock and I’ll be sure to be on time. Remember please, I don’t know when you have set up and when the media has set up everything. I’m told they are busy setting up once the court is opened. So, when you’re ready I don’t know. My office is a five-minute walk from here, if you can please all endeavor to tell me you are ready then I’ll be here immediately please.”

Also see: Nonhle Thema takes responsibility of her past mistakes on Unfollowed