Johannesburg - Patriotic Alliance deputy president Kenny Kunene has continued calling EFF leader Julius Malema a cockroach, citing that Malema has a low self esteem.
He denies that his comment amounts to hate speech.
Malema is demanding compensation of R1 million from Kunene.
The matter over cockroach comment between Malema and Kunene was back at the Equality Court in Johannesburg yesterday.
In court papers, Malema argues that during a television interview last year, Kunene described him as a cockroach, meaning that Kunene thinks that he deserved a subhuman treatment.
A handful of PA supporters were seen wearing their green regalia singing and chanting Struggle songs, in support of one of its leader. However, not many EFF supporters were seen outside court, which is unusual. The red-barrette brigade is known for supporting each other in large groups.
Malema was represented by four advocates while Kunene had one legal representative.
Speaking to the media outside court, Kunene said he together with the members of his party went to defend the case as he refused to apologise.
“I refused to apologise as I believe that having said that it is not hate speech within the confronts of the law. So we are here with my attorneys and we are going to defend this matter. We are confident that we are going to get a positive result,” said Kunene.
Kunene said if they didn’t get a positive result they were going to appeal.
“When you look at some case studies before, Malema called Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan a dog and he must hit a dog and the master will come out. And he went further talking about prepared to die and will take them on one by one but the court yet has ruled that it’s not hate speech. He speaks violence and about kill the boer kill the farmer and the court ruled it is not a hate speech,” Kunene said.
He said in his case, he did not see how the court would arrive at a conclusion that saying someone was an irritating cockroach was hate speech.
“Malema is an irritating cockroach,” he said.
Kunene said he passed the comment while responding to a question to a journalist who was interviewing him after Malema had called PA party members bandits.
There are some reports going around suggesting that Kunene was still bitter about leaving the EFF since he was involved when it was formed. However, Kunene refuted the claims.
“I was responding to a question, why should I be bitter about a young man, a small boy who is emotionally fragile, who has no self esteem, there’s nothing to be jealous about. I left the EFF for reasons known to Malema and Floyd Shivambu and I started a party,” Kunene said.
He did not want to speak about those reasons. He said once they were done with representations and arguments in court he would address PA members and explain why he believed that Malema brought this case.
EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo could not be reached for a comment.
The Star