Elon Musk urges Ramaphosa to address Malema’s ‘Kill the Boer’ chant

South African-born Twitter owner Elon Musk has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to speak up amid the uproar over Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema‘s “Kill the Boer” chant.

The EFF leader is trending on social media following his party’s 10th-anniversary celebration at the FNB Stadium, where he chanted “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer”.

Malema’s chants have caught international attention, with Benny Johnson, an American commentator tweeting: “Shocking video shows South Africa’s black party singing ‘kill the Boer (Whites), kill the White farmer’. This is all downstream from the rotten secular religion of wokeness and CRT plaguing America today. You have been warned.”

Musk commented: “They are openly pushing for genocide of white people in South Africa. @CyrilRamaphosa, why do you say nothing?”

The EFF leader, seemingly unmoved, told Musk he was talking [expletive].

‘Kill the Boer’: Malema vs AfriForum

The Equality Court last August ruled that the singing of “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer” by EFF supporters in Senekal in October 2020 was not hate speech.

However, AfriForum is appealing the ruling.

ALSO READ: ‘Bring it on, we aren’t the ANC’- Malema challenges DA over ‘Kill the Boer’ court plans

“The matter was heard in the High Court and there was a ruling on the matter last year. The matter will also serve before the Supreme Court of Appeals in September,” explained Ernst Roets, head of policy and action at AfriForum, on Monday.

“This ruling creates a very dangerous precedent. The ruling sends out the disturbing message that the incitement of heinous murders on a certain group – based on their identities – is acceptable and carries no penalty.

“The question is whether the singing of the song “Kill the boer, kill the farmer” is indeed hate speech.

“Given the fact that the case is still sub judice and in the process of going to court, Malema has no right to sing the song.”

Enters the Democratic Alliance

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen also announced on Monday his party would be filing charges against both Malema and the ANC government at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

“The first element of our UN case will focus on Malema’s repeated incitement of ethnic violence,” said Steenhuisen.

ALSO READ: Red flag: DA plans to take EFF to UN Human Rights Council over ‘Kill the Boer’ rally chant

“The second element will charge the ANC national government before the UN over its years-long failure to take action against their one-time protégé even as brutal farm murders continue to escalate in the wake of Malema’s demagoguery.”

According to Steenhuisen, the charge will be laid in terms of Malema’s alleged violation of, at least, three key UN charters:

• The first is the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
• The second is the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.
• The third is Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“In addition to turning to the international community, we will also file a complaint with Parliament’s ethics committee against Malema, in his capacity as a Member of Parliament.

ALSO READ: DA slams ‘bloodthirsty’ Malema for singing ‘Kill the Boer’

“We are further obtaining legal advice on approaching the Public Protector and the courts. But it is also important that we are honest about one thing.

“For more than a decade, the SA state has utterly failed to use appropriate internal remedies to stop Malema.”

In response, Malema said: “Bring it on small boy, we are not the ANC.”