Julius Malema is set to face prosecution after calling an Eastern Cape school principal a ‘rapist’ at an EFF event, despite there being no evidence against him.

The NPA’s decision follows representations by Advocate Gerrie Nel after principal Jaco Pieterse spent months battling allegations that ultimately led him to resign.

As previously reported, Malema claimed that Pieterse had raped a seven-year-old girl and was a serial rapist.

With Nel’s assistance, Pieterse last year laid charges against Malema and a number of other politicians after the scandal which led to Pieterse resigning as principal of Bergview College in Matatiele. 

News24 reports that a local mother claimed that her daughter had been raped at the school in October 2024 and, without any evidence, implicated Pieterse as one of the suspects, despite him not being on the school premises at the time of the alleged incident.

In his submission, Nel pointed out that Malema is well aware of the impact false allegations can have, given that he himself has approached the courts to intervene after defamatory remarks were made about him.

In a letter in Rapport’s possession, Advocate Jacqui Drotsky, Deputy DPP, confirmed that Nel’s representations had succeeded. She accordingly instructed Agnes Bezuidenhout, the acting chief public prosecutor in Johannesburg, to prosecute Malema on a charge of crimen injuria in the city’s Magistrate’s Court.

Sinawo Thambo, EFF spokesperson, did not respond to Rapport’s inquiries by the time of going to press.

News24 reports that Pieterse also lodged cases against ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and the Eastern Cape MEC for Education, Fundile Gade last year.

AfriForum’s private prosecution unit says its efforts to hold Mbalula and Gade accountable are ongoing.

Full News24 report

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