/ 20 December 2013

Malema released on R5k bail, to appear in court

Malema Released On R5k Bail, To Appear In Court

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema was expected to appear in the Vereeniging Magistrate's Court on Friday following his arrest for speeding, Gauteng police said.

"He will be appearing in court today [Friday]," said Sergeant Obakeng Mabaso.

Earlier, Gauteng traffic police spokesperson Busaphi Nxumalo said Malema was released early on Friday morning on R5 000 bail.

"He was released this [Friday] morning just after 3am on R5 000 bail," she said.

Malema was arrested by the high speed unit in the Vaal on the N1 and was charged with reckless and negligent driving and for exceeding the general speed limit.

He was driving 215km/h in a 120km/h zone.

Police custody
Nxumalo said late on Thursday evening that Malema had still been in police custody around 11pm.

Malema was detained around 7.25pm and was taken to the Barrage Police Station, but was transferred to the Vanderbijlpark Police Station.

Malema was driving from Bloemfontein in the Free State to Johannesburg.

There were two woman and another man in the charcoal BMW 530d, she said.

Meanwhile, the EFF issued a statement on Friday morning apologising for Malema's actions and providing a run-down of his schedule as an explanation.

"The CIC [commander-in-chief], who was on a tight schedule, was on his way from Bloemfontein to attend to an urgent program in Alexandra. This is after he had been in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday 17th, in Queen's Town and King William's Town, meeting with former mineworkers, and on the same day in the evening was in meetings in Johannesburg.

"The following day, early morning he had to be in Kimberly, Kuruman to meet with the Kgatelopele Asbestos Forum and in proceeded to Bloemfontein for a meeting that lasted till the early hours of Thursday morning. In Bloemfontein, the CIC attended to structures of the EFF in the Free State, including on the same Thursday in which he urgently had to travel to Alexandra.

"The CIC also had meetings to attend in Johannesburg in the evening. In essence, it means he would be in three provinces in one day, stretching also between distant towns."

The party ended the statement saying the public should abide by the law at all times and should not follow in Malema's footsteps.

"The EFF and the CIC encourages all South Africans not to emulate this regrettable example and to abide by traffic laws, particularly this festive season." – Sapa, additional reporting by Staff Reporter