Malema due in court

Pretoria - Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema is set to appear in the North Gauteng High Court on Monday to fight the final sequestration of his estate as compensation for unpaid taxes.

Malema - or any other interested party - has until 10:00 on Monday to give the court reasons why his sequestration should not be made final.

Last week Malema's lawyer, Tumi Mokwena, said the leader, who is a newly sworn-in Member of Parliament, would oppose the finalisation of an order to seize his assets.

Trust

In April, a trust was launched to collect funds to settle Malema's R16m SA Revenue Service (Sars) bill, but it is not clear if the trust has secured enough funds to help him.

According to court documents, Malema owed R16m plus interest after failing to submit tax returns between 2006 and 2010.

In 2010 Sars contacted Malema about his failure to submit tax returns. It took Malema 18 months, after many attempts by Sars, to file his outstanding returns.

Malema also failed to register his Ratanang Trust for tax purposes, and Sars had to do this on his behalf. Sars attached some of Malema's property to recoup the taxes he owed.

In May last year, Malema's incomplete mansion in Sandton, Johannesburg, was sold on auction for R5.9m - although it was later revealed the bidder could apparently not afford the home.

Malema's farm in Limpopo fetched R2.5m at an auction in June 2013, and several of his household goods were also auctioned off.