By Marcus Moloko
The Johannesburg High Court is set to hear a R1 million defamation lawsuit brought by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema against Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene.
The dispute comes from remarks Kunene made during an appearance on the popular online show Podcast and Chill with MacG.
In the interview, Kunene alleged that Malema made midnight visits to the Dinokeng farm of the late taxi boss Jotham “Mswazi” Msibi, who has been linked to the so called “Big Five” cartel under investigation by the Madlanga Commission.
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Kunene also referred to Malema as a “boy”, a term Malema’s legal team argues carries racially charged undertones rooted in South Africa’s apartheid history.
Kunene has dismissed this claim, saying he merely meant Malema was younger than him.
Kunene has refused to retract his statements, instead filing answering affidavits to defend his position.
Among these is a sworn statement from Tshepo Molekoa, Msibi’s former chef, who claims to have personally witnessed Malema visiting the farm several times.
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Malema acknowledges knowing Msibi socially and speaking at his funeral, but denies any criminal association. He insists his interactions with Msibi were transparent and political, focused on negotiating transport discounts for EFF members through Msibi’s taxi networks.
This case is another legal tussle in the long-running feud between Malema and Kunene.
The two have clashed repeatedly in public and in court, including a previous hate speech ruling that forced Kunene to apologize for calling Malema a cockroach.
The defamation hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
