South African Firebrand Charged With Money Laundering JOHANNESBURG - Julius Malema, the firebrand former leader of the African National Congress youth wing, appeared in a court in his home province of Limpopo on Wednesday to face a charge of money laundering in connection with state contracts with an engineering company linked to him. But, after being released on bail of around $1,200 following a brief court appearance, he denounced the charge. "I have nothing to hide, I have never been part of any criminal activity," Mr. Malema told a throng of supporters cheering him outside the courthouse. I am not corrupt and I do not engage in fraudulent activities. In recent weeks, Mr. Malema has resurfaced after an attempt by South Africa's leaders to banish him from politics. Although he was expelled from the governing A.N.C., he has emerged as the champion of miners engaged in wildcat strikes at gold and platinum mines. The police killed 34 striking workers in a barrage of gunfire on August 16 in the bloodiest incident of labor unrest since the end of apartheid. Mr. Malema has also sharpened his attacks on President Jacob Zuma, a man he once supported but has since turned against bitterly. The Limpopo charge arises from one of several investigations targeting Mr. Malema, a rabble-rousing politician who has proposed seizing white-owned property and nationalizing South Africa's mines. Last week, the government billed him for nearly $2 million in unpaid taxes. The government's anti-corruption czar, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, is also preparing a report on suspected criminality in Mr. Malema's business dealings. Mr. Malema and his supporters have argued that the charges against him are spurious and politically motivated. Contrary to earlier news reports, Mr. Malema was not charged with fraud or corruption. "They are sent by Jacob Zuma," Mr. Malema said of the prosecutors. That illiterate Jacob Zuma. Mr. Malema was once a fierce supporter of President Zuma, declaring at one point he was prepared to kill for Mr. Zuma. Mr. Malema played a key role in ousting former president Thabo Mbeki as leader of the A.N.C., paving the way for Mr. Zuma to become president. But the two fell out and Mr. Malema has become one of Mr. Zuma's most vociferous critics at a time when the president is facing serious challenges to his position ahead of the party's leadership conference in December. Mr. Zuma himself faced a series of corruption charges, all of which were dropped amid allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. Several other major political figures have also been investigated for corruption. Mr. Malema's expulsion from the A.N.C. earlier this year came after a lengthy internal disciplinary process. This seemed to be the end of his political career, since no party has managed to challenge successfully the supermajority the A.N.C. has held since the first fully democratic elections in 1994, when apartheid ended. Limpopo, Mr. Malema's home province and a bastion of support for him, has been facing a financial crisis for the past year, sapping social services and infrastructure projects. The provincial government overspent its budget by about $250 million, and investigations into bloated contracts, many of which are linked to Mr. Malema and his associates.