The unnamed man holding a contentious sign has garnered much social media hullabaloo. Photo: Twitter
Is the man holding a board up declaring he would “moer (beat) Julius Malema for R20″ simply using the opportunity for a meal ticket, or is he being used?
These are some questions social media users had when the image emerged over the weekend, amid an ongoing court battle between Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and civil society organisation AfriForum.
The poster had netizens in stitches, and while many praised him for seizing an opportunity to make money, others thought he was being used to get to Malema.
“And they say Malema can’t create jobs,” one Twitter user added, while another said: “Business minded this one. He even knows the language of his market”.
One Twitter user said the mystery man would be a millionaire by the end of the year, while another commended him for his creative business strategy.
Thabiso said he uses the same strategy when “attending an interview at a white firm”.
He explained: “I tell them that my favourite Advocate is Gerrie Nel because if I can say it’s Advocate Dali Mpofu, they will never even entertain me. The economic strategy right there CIC!”
Addressing Malema directly, another netizen said, “this guy is using your name to get money, you deserve at least 40% of what he is making”.
“He is a street man and up to date with what is happening in South Africa”, said another.
Malema and former spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi are facing charges of hate speech for allegedly chanting “kill the boer”.
Malema had been giving testimony before the High Court in Johannesburg, defending his belief that singing “kill the boer” did not incite violence and was not to be taken literally.
His matter was brought before the court by minority rights group AfriForum, who argued the song constituted hate speech.
During cross-examination, a video clip of Malema chanting the controversial song “kill the boer” at the Economic Freedom Fighter’s birthday rally in Durban 2017 was presented in the court.
When asked to repeat what they were chanting, he reiterated that they were singing “kiss the boer”.
“When we say ‘kiss’ we know that the racists will become red because they will never appreciate that there is a call for black people to kiss white people,” he said on the stand of the Equality Court, sitting at the High Court in Johannesburg.
AfriForum is demanding a public apology, and wants the EFF pay an amount of R500,000 to a non-governmental organisation combating hatred.
Reactions from the public seem to favour the CIC, but the court is yet to make findings if the song did incite violence against the Afrikaners.
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