Helen Zille’s one-word response to Malema’s lawsuit threat
· The South African
Democratic Alliance (DA) federal chairperson Helen Zille has refused to back down after Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema threatened to sue her over allegations involving the City of Johannesburg.
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Zille responded with a single word on a Facebook post on Tuesday, 10 November.
“No.”
She shared the response alongside a letter of demand from Malema’s lawyers, who have given her until Wednesday, 11 November, to retract her statements and apologise publicly.
WHY IS MALEMA THREATENING TO SUE ZILLE?
The dispute stems from an eNCA interview on Sunday, 8 November, during which Zille accused Malema of influencing decisions in Johannesburg while ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba was mayor.
Zille claimed Mashaba relied on the EFF’s support to remain in office and allowed Malema to dictate major decisions.
She alleged that Malema influenced decisions involving City Power and a municipal fleet tender to benefit himself and companies linked to him.
Zille also claimed Mashaba appointed former police deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya to head the city’s anti-corruption unit on Malema’s instructions.
Malema has rejected the allegations as false and defamatory.
MALEMA GIVES ZILLE DEADLINE
In a letter dated 9 November, Malema’s lawyers, England Slabbert Attorneys, demanded that Zille withdraw her statements and issue a public apology.
They want her to publish the apology across her social media platforms and distribute it to media organisations.
The lawyers also demanded that Zille submit the proposed apology for their approval and provide a written undertaking not to repeat the allegations.
They warned that failure to comply by close of business on Wednesday could result in legal proceedings, including a damages claim and an interdict preventing further publication of the statements.
Zille’s one-word response signals that she does not intend to comply with the demands.
The dispute comes as political parties negotiate coalition agreements following the local government elections.
Zille is the DA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate, while ActionSA has indicated that it is willing to negotiate with the party but will not support her appointment as mayor.