Embattled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema is set to meet the SA Minority Rights Equality Movement to discuss his recent reference to Indians as “makula”.
ANC Youth League president Julius Malema will meet the SA Minority Rights Equality Movement (Samrem) on Tuesday to discuss his recent reference to Indians as “makula” (coolies) , according to a newspaper report.
Samrem convenor advocate Ashin Singh told the Witness that Malema phoned him last week to request a meeting to “discuss” the matter.
Asked whether an apology would be accepted, Singh said: “I cannot pre-empt the meeting, but it will depend on what he will say in his apology.”
Samrem laid the charges of crimen injuria against Malema on Novmeber 4 at the Mountain Rise police station in Pietermaritzburg after his use of the derogatory term during a speech in Gauteng.
Singh said the best outcome would be if Malema apologises and both parties agree on terms to drop the charges.
“There should be equality among all races and no room for racial discrimination against the minority races. It is not by our choice that we belong to the minority race group and we don’t have to be discriminated against for that, but we must live side by side as we are all South Africans,” Singh said.
ANC Youth League spokesperson Magdalene Moonsamy confirmed to the newspaper that Malema would be meeting Samrem representatives in Pietrenaritzburg.
Last month, opposition parties were outraged when Malema using the word “makula”, which was translated to mean “coolies”.
Malema said he had meant no offence. He also said he would not use the word again to refer to South Africans of Indian origin. — Sapa