It is high time that Julius Malema, leader of the EFF, is brought to book for his hateful and racist remarks, and the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) welcomes today’s ruling by the Cape Town Equality Court finding Malema guilty of hate speech.
The Court found that statements made by Malema in 2022 in Cape Town, along with placards displayed by EFF members, constituted hate speech and incitement to violence.
The case stemmed from complaints lodged by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) following an incident in 2020 at Brackenfell High School where parents of the school’s learners clashed with EFF members.
Among other things, Malema asked why a man who had been in a physical altercation with an EFF member had not yet been dealt with. He also added that a revolution sometimes requires killing.
In response, the Freedom Front Plus lodged a complaint against Malema with the HRC in October 2022, and shortly thereafter, the HRC found that the EFF leader was indeed guilty of hate speech.
The Freedom Front Plus insisted that the HRC should take decisive action by charging Malema in the Equality Court – which it did.
It is necessary to note that today’s ruling does not broadly condemn Malema’s racist remarks or his frequent singing of the song “Kill the Boer.”
It is, however, encouraging that a South African court made this finding, and it once again shines the spotlight on last year’s Appeal Court ruling that “Kill the Boer” does not constitute hate speech.
The Freedom Front Plus maintains that “Kill the Boer” is indeed hate speech and divisive – particularly in a country like South Africa where racial tensions frequently flare up – and must not be tolerated.
Malema clearly started to think that he is untouchable and can insult, threaten and slander as he pleases with impunity – particularly after the Appeal Court ruling.
President Cyril Ramaphosa would do well to note today’s court ruling, especially after he refused to condemn “Kill the Boer” when recently confronted about it by US President Donald Trump.
The Freedom Front Plus hopes that the Court’s finding sends a loud and clear message to everyone in South Africa: Hate speech and racial division are intolerable.
And the habit of using context as a blatant excuse to justify it is even more unacceptable. The Freedom Front Plus fully concurs with the saying that the mouth speaks what overflows from the heart.
