The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has made an interim order in favour of EFF leader Julius Malema in his urgent application to stop cultural activist and former radio presenter Ngizwe Mchunu from defaming him.
This follows Mchunu’s alleged defamatory remarks during separate media interviews in Pretoria on Tuesday, 28 April, and in Johannesburg on Thursday, 30 April.
Mchunu was quoted in court papers as having said: “Julius Malema…he recently got 60 million from the Nigerian drug dealers, that’s why he is highly protected and is also willing to lose everything that he has, politically, in order to protect Nigerians and other illegal immigrants.
“He is eating money of illegal foreigners, he is getting 60 million from illegal foreigners, this Julius Malema. I do not care what he does; he is a dead snake, his time is over. Julius Malema, you are a dog; you sold the people of South Africa to illegal foreigners. I am not scared of you, my boy…”
The EFF leader approached the court on an urgent basis, demanding that Mchunu apologise and retract the remarks he made during the interviews, with an additional R1 million settlement.
Malema wins against Mchunu
On Tuesday, the court issued an interim order that Mchunu “not to publish, or cause to be published, any further defamatory statements about or otherwise concerning the Applicant in terms similar to that of the Impugned Statements wherein the Respondent directly or indirectly, explicitly, impliedly, or otherwise, repeats, cause to be repeated, the same or similar allegations as those made in the Impugned Statements in any manner whatsoever.”
Mchunu was further ordered to pay the costs of part A of the application, including the costs of two counsel where so employed, on the scale as between attorney and client.
He was called upon to show cause on 19 May 2026 why the order should not be made final.
For purposes of determining part B, which is the settlement part, the matter is to proceed to trial or oral evidence on a date to be arranged with the Registrar of the Court.
‘Political misinformation cannot be normalised’
The EFF welcomed the order, saying it affirmed that reckless lies, political misinformation, and slander cannot be normalised under the guise of public commentary or political activism.
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In court, his legal representatives argued that Mchunu’s statements were “entirely false, malicious, politically motivated, and intended to portray him as a criminal and dishonest leader”.
“The court has now vindicated this position through an urgent order restraining Mchunu from continuing this campaign of defamation,” said the EFF.
“President Malema welcomes the ruling as an important victory not merely for himself personally, but for the principle that truth must prevail over propaganda and mob disinformation. The courts have sent a clear message that freedom of expression does not include the freedom to defame others with baseless criminal allegations.”
