EFF to sue government over death of Collins Khosa

08 June 2020 - 16:00
By ZINGISA MVUMVU
EFF leader Julius Malema outside the US embassy in Pretoria during a solidarity protest against racism and white supremacy.
Image: Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times. EFF leader Julius Malema outside the US embassy in Pretoria during a solidarity protest against racism and white supremacy.

The EFF will be suing the state on behalf of the family of Collins Khosa, the party's leader Julius Malema revealed on Monday.

Khosa died during the Covid-19 lockdown, allegedly after an altercation with soldiers deployed to help enforce the lockdown.

Malema said the EFF had assembled a strong legal team to litigate. He added that the party had paid the costs of Khosa’s funeral.

“We said to them [the Khosa family], here are the lawyers that are going to help you to fight this government that killed a black man,” said Malema.

“We went to court and we won the costs of the funeral. We are now proceeding to sue government.

“Leave that report of the military that says soldiers are not at fault - it is friends trying to please each [other]. We will meet them at the neutral court of law.”

Malema said the EFF would demand damages for Khosa’s wife and entire family.

“We have assembled the best legal minds in South Africa to help this family and we have also buried Khosa ourselves - we paid for the mortuary and we removed the body from here to go and to be buried at home.”

Malema said the red berets had initially decided to help the Khosa family “quietly” until people started asking why they were protesting about the killing of George Floyd and not Khosa.