LEADER of the anti-foreigner group, Operation Dudula, Nhlanhla “Lux” Mohlauli, on Monday said he will not have regrets if he is killed for his movement.
“All of us know where drugs are sold. There are some saying Lux won’t spend two weeks outside, he will be shot. I will be the happiest person underground,” Mohlauli said while addressed a crowd of supporters shortly after his release from custody.
“If I die for my people, you should know that this is the happiest man. I will be a dead man who is alive because I would have died for my nation.
“I will be sitting next to Chris Hani and Steve Biko and telling them that I have left others behind, like Cosas [the Congress of South African Students]. They would have killed me, not the revolution.”
Mohlauli was on Monday released on R1 500 bail by the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court.
Several supporters were outside the court, and they were also at the Johannesburg central police station, where Mohlauli had been detained since last week.
As a bail condition, the court warned the Operation Dudula leader to avoid all communication and contact with the complainant, Victor Ramerafe.
Mohlauli was also ordered to hand over his passport to the investigating officer and not change his address.
Numerous police officers, including members of the public order policing unit, were stationed at the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court during Mohlauli’s appearance.
As he addressed supporters outside court, Mohlauli urged his supporters not to hate or be aggressive with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members.
During his address, some supporters brought up a makeshift coffin pasted with a photo of EFF leader Julius Malema. On the coffin was written: “RIP Juju”.
Tearing away the picture of Malema from the coffin, Mohlauli retorted: I want to also address what you are seeing here. This thing is nonsense. Please take this thing [the coffin] down and let me clarify why I say this thing is nonsense. The weakness of our people is not our strength. These people who have led us to this position, it is their weakness.
“These people should benefit from our leadership too. We must not kill these people who have brought us here. We are not going to be carrying caskets and saying Malema must die. We are better people than them.
“Already they were on a stage, saying Nhlanhla Lux must die … I am not even going to open a case because I have meditated enough with my ancestors and I got a message that those are our people.”
Earlier, the activist’s lawyer, Ike Khumalo, told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that the charges are frivolous and laughable.
“Housebreaking and theft, malicious damage to property ... he could have been released on a warning at the police station. The manner how he was arrested, he was arrested like a hardcore convict. So many (police) cars, some at the traffic lightss. We feel that it was heavy-handed,” said Khumalo.
“These charges are laughable because you can go interview the communities, and they will tell you that the guy is a drug dealer. People drop drugs there. They smoke drugs there.”
Khumalo said the charges against Mohlauli are “political”. He said there was a team of attorneys and advocates helping Mohlauli “because they do understand what he stands for”.
Mohlauli, popularly known as Nhlanhla Lux, was arrested after a case was opened at the Dobsonville police station in Soweto on Wednesday. The complainant, Victor Ramerafe, was supported in opening the case by the EFF by virtue of his membership with the party led by Malema.
Ramerafe’s house was allegedly ransacked by members of Operation Dudula, led by Mohlauli, after the movement accused Ramerafe’s home of being a drug den. |
IOL