Picture File: EFF president Julius Malema addresses supporters outside the Randburg Magistrate's Court on 29 September 2022. Picture: Sibongumenzi Sibiya.
AfriForum is not giving up its fight to hold Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema accountable for some of his public remarks.
The lobby group has lodged complaints against Malema with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for allegedly inciting violence and hate speech.
The complaint is over remarks Malema made last weekend at the EFF’s Western Cape third provincial people’s assembly.
The EFF leader said the party’s members and supporters should “never be scared to kill” in defence of the red berets’ agenda for the economic emancipation of black people.
“You must never be scared to kill. A revolution demands that, at some point, there must be killing because the killing is part of a revolutionary act,” Malema told party delegates attending the conference.
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He said anything that stands in the best interests of “the revolution”, including racists, must be eliminated.
“The founding manifesto of the EFF says we’ll take power by all means necessary. And therefore, revolutionaries when confronted by that situation should never think twice. Cowards are not for the revolution.
“The EFF must be known that it’s not a playground for racists. Any racists that plays next to the EFF and threaten to beat up the membership and the leadership of the EFF that is an application to meet your maker with immediate effect,” he said.
AfriForum is demanding that the SAHRC investigate Malema’s comments and takes “an uncompromising stance and act against this violent rhetoric”.
The organisation’s campaign officer for strategy and content, Ernst van Zyl, said every time a politician gets away with extremist or violent rhetoric, it leads to the escalation of such rhetoric.
“It is a shame that political elites are currently often given a free pass by those who have the authority to intervene.
“This is why it is so important for AfriForum to intervene and ensure that there are consequences for the incitement of violence by politicians,” Van Zyl said in a statement.
READ MORE: AfriForum granted leave to appeal application in ‘Kill the Boer’ case
He claimed South Africa’s political environment was increasingly characterised by politicians who threaten minority groups with impunity.
“AfriForum will continue to intensify the training and readiness of our community security structures. We strongly encourage the public to get involved in such initiatives.”
Earlier this month, the Equality Court in Johannesburg granted AfriForum leave to appeal its application against the “Kill the Boer” ruling that went in favour of the EFF.
Judge Edwin Molahlehi said he was satisfied that the lobby group had made out a case that there were reasonable prospects of success on appeal at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein.
This followed Judge Molahlehi’s ruling in August, which found that AfriForum failed to prove the lyrics in the two struggle songs – Kill/Kiss the Boer and Bizani iFire-Brigade (call the fire brigade) – constituted hate speech and unfair treatment.
The judge dismissed the organisation’s application to declare the lyrics as hate speech and ordered AfriForum to pay the costs of the application.
The lobby group had brought the case against Malema and EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi for singing the struggle songs during the party’s rallies, arguing the songs incited violence and hate speech.
Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe
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