Newly-elected leader of the Freedom Front Plus, Cornè Mulder, says lobby groups AfriForum and Solidarity are not guilty of treason. This follows an announcement by the Hawks that it would be investigating four cases of high treason.
The cases involve organizations accused of spreading misinformation in the United States about South Africa’s Expropriation Act.
Mulder says the Hawks have nothing to investigate.
“If you look at the definition of treason, treason is when somebody wants to take certain steps to overthrow the government or to try and assassinate the sovereign if it’s a monarchy … that kind of thing. That is treason. I don’t believe it’s treason what they’ve done. And if you look at the message that they’ve taken abroad, and specifically when they made it clear that they want to appeal to the US government not to bring any sanctions against SA (as) that would be to the detriment of SA and its citizens … and I don’t think that could ever be treason,” explains Mulder.
High Treason | AfriForum’s Kallie Kriel not worried about Hawks probe:
Legal expert Mpumelelo Zikalala says although AfriForum might have jumped the gun by engaging the outside world in the internal affairs of South Africa, the Hawks will have to find sufficient evidence that may warrant prosecution against the group.
This comes after the Hawks confirmation that four dockets of High Treason are being investigated relating to organizations accused of spreading misinformation in the United States on South Africa’s Expropriation Act. The MK Party and other parties or individuals are said to have registered the complaints following allegations that US President Donald Trump was misled about the Land Expropriation issue.
Zikalala says this will not be an easy matter to prosecute.
“When it comes to what has to be passed by the legal master, then you are going to have a problem (if) you take this matter to court. Even if you try it on the riotous act. There are various things that are not complied with,” says Zikalala.
“Unless if the law enforcement is going to probe this properly. And make sure that the courts are linked between the statements and what has been suffered can be quantified, and articulated to certain individuals. And it is going to be easy to say but for the conduct and the actions and the utterances that you have made Afriforum, this is what SA has suffered. You were trying to overthrow the government hence we are charging you with high treason,” he adds.
AfriForum says for South Africa to ensure that it is not removed from AGOA, the government must address what it says are human rights abuses against Afrikaners.
The organization is currently facing criticism for its decision to travel to the United States to meet with the Trump administration, which it describes as part of its fight for the rights of Afrikaners.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned this decision, arguing that it is causing divisions within the country.
Afriforum CEO Kallie Kriel says they will not take responsibility if South Africa is expelled from AGOA.
“The only way we’re going to save AGOA and going to save our country from sanctions is if we address the real issues. We’ve been asking here in the US for South Africa not to be kicked out of AGOA. They say well, they cannot keep us in a AGOA because of disrespect for property rights, because of this respect for human rights. So, if we want to save the country, what we want to do. We make those arguments, ‘don’t punish the ordinary people keep us in AGOA, if you’re going to act against anybody, rather act against ANC leaders’,” says Kriel.
Treason Dockets | ANC responds to AfriForum US visit:
