Julius Malema to take stand at trial

Johannesburg - The hate speech case against ANC Youth League president Julius Malema entered its second week in the Equality Court on Monday.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe and Minister in the Presidency responsible for Performance Monitoring Collins Chabane were at the court on Monday.

Both were expected to testify in support of the singing of the struggle song "awudubhule ibhunu" (shoot the boer).

Malema is on trial in the Equality Court on a charge brought by the civil rights group AfriForum, which contends that his singing of the lyrics constitutes hate speech.

Malema is expected to take the stand sometime this week.

On Friday, Deputy Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom, who is also a member of the ANC national executive committee, took the stand.

He suggested a national dialogue on the matter.

Hanekom told the court the song bore no reference to an ethnic group, but referred to a system of racial oppression.

The High Court in Johannesburg is sitting as the Equality Court.

ANC stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was also at court on Monday.

She has been at Malema's side since the start of the case, which has been set down for 10 days.