Gauteng High Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Ngizwe Mchunu Over Contempt of Court: SA Reacts

• The Gauteng High Court has issued an immediate warrant of arrest for media personality Ngizwe Mchunu after finding him in contempt of court in a defamation case involving EFF leader Julius Malema
• The court ruled that Mchunu breached earlier orders prohibiting him from repeating defamatory statements
• This after Mchunu offered a public apology and retraction yesterday, 4 June 2026

SOUTH AFRICA - South Africans have been left divided and alarmed after news broke online that a warrant of arrest has been issued for media personality Ngizwe Mchunu following a contempt of court ruling linked to his ongoing legal battle with EFF leader Julius Malema.

The Gauteng High Court has issued an immediate warrant of arrest for media personality and activist Ngizwe Mchunu today, 5 June 2026.

According to various media reports, the court ordered that he be detained for 10 days after being found in contempt of court in a defamation matter involving EFF leader Julius Malema.

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High Court issues arrest warrant for Ngizwe Mchunu for contempt of court

Why was the warrant issued?

The order follows earlier legal proceedings in which Malema took action against Mchunu over a series of alleged defamatory statements made during public interviews and on social media. The court had previously interdicted Mchunu from making further remarks that could be considered defamatory toward the EFF leader.

The matter stems from allegations made by Mchunu during a televised interview, in which he claimed Malema had received large sums of money from alleged criminal figures and made further accusations regarding political influence and immigration-related conduct. Malema’s legal team strongly denied the claims, describing them as false, malicious, and damaging to his reputation.

High court ruling

Court documents indicate that Mchunu was found to have republished or repeated defamatory claims on 20–21 May, in violation of existing interdicts. The court subsequently issued the arrest warrant on 5 June 2026, stating that it takes effect immediately.

According to the order, the 10-day detention can only be suspended if Mchunu submits an unreserved apology to the court across his active social media platforms, uploads the apology to CaseLines, and refrains from repeating the disputed statements.

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Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma relieved as Ngizwe Mchunu apologises to Julius Malema

See X post from Tumi Sole here:

South Africans weighed in

@Evidence_Shongw asked:

"Didn’t he apologise to him? Why is get arrested?"

@kapa_robert said:

"Kanti the apology was not accepted. I thought he apologised; this English is dribbling me big time."

@professorSMM wrote:

"He must go spend 10 days asap, we need him for the 30th of June."

@Gaibian1509 commented:

"I'm not sure who has been advising him, but contempt of court is a crime and punishable by direct imprisonment. It's not a life sentence, but it was avoidable. Hope he learns from this."

@DuduNgubane3 stated:

"At least the order gives him another opportunity to apologise before he can be detained."

Ngizwe had previously remained defiant

Previously, Briefly News reported that the High Court’s ruling on 12 May 2025 had already ordered Mchunu not to repeat or publish defamatory statements and imposed punitive costs against him. However, subsequent posts and public remarks allegedly breached those conditions, leading to the contempt proceedings. Before his most recent court appearance, Ngizwe has called Malema a "dog" and told his followers that they would 'deal with him in court.'

Source: Briefly News