JOHANNESBURG – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has slammed social media threats against State prosecutor Advocate Joel Cesar who was involved in the Julius Malema firearm handling case.
The prosecuting authority said it had noted with concern the circulation of content on social media platform X, purporting to represent the Economic Freedom Fighters, in which statements contain serious threats directed at Cesar.
“The NPA strongly condemns any form of intimidation or threats against its prosecutors,” it said.
“Officials serve the public by representing the State and are constitutionally mandate to execute their duties without fear, favour, or prejudice.”
The NPA said the conduct undermines the rule of law and poses a real risk to the safety and lives of those entrusted to upholding justice.
“This concern is heightened in the Eastern Cape, where three prosecutors have tragically been killed over the past two years, underscoring the very real dangers faced by members of the prosecuting authority,” NPA said in a statement.
In his address to hundreds of EFF supporters gathered outside the East London Regional Court on Thursday, Malema took aim at Magistrate Twanet Olivier and Cesar.
He labelled Olivier a racist and said Cesar was arrogant.
“The only thing we need to do is to make sure that this prosecutor who is arrogant, and suffers from a short man syndrome is taught a lesson. And we can only teach him a lesson by sitting on his neck and making sure that he is prosecuted and arrested for lying to court," Malema said.