Julius Malema is not convinced that Mdumiseni Khetha Zuma received proper legal representation, following the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court’s ruling to sentence the 36-year-old to an effective 12 years imprisonment for allegedly instigating the 2021 July unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mr. Zuma’s conviction comes after contravening Sections 17 and 18 of the Riotous Assemblies Act, where he “incited people to gather and commit public violence.”
RELATED STORY: Police Commissioner answers questions on July unrest.
Responding to the judgement through his X social media account on Wednesday, the president of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said, “I don’t think the so-called July 2021 instigator Mdumiseni Zuma got a proper legal representation. I’ve since asked our KZN Provincial Chair to get the facts and how we can be of assistance.”
The NPA stated that Zuma made an inciteful video, pertaining to the Brookside Mall, and distributing it on the WhatsApp social media platform. This, the NPA claims, resulted in the Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg being looted and burnt to the ground.
Senior State Advocate Yuri Gangai led the evidence of video footage, audio clips and the testimony of a guard who worked at the mall.
The manager of the mall told the court that the estimated damage caused by the looting and fire was approximately R500 million.
While the NPA in KwaZulu-Natal revealed that it has finalised several cases in connection to the July 2021 unrest, the state agency said this was the first case where an individual has been convicted and subsequently sentenced for inciting the unrest.
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