A Background:

During an Economic Freedom Fighters rally on Saturday, leader Julius Malema led chants of “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer” to a 90,000-strong stadium of Johannesburg supporters. The contemporary usage of the Apartheid-era chant has been heavily criticized due to the exponential rise of brutal attacks against farmers since the African National Congress came to power, With 2183 farm murders and 6,000 farm attacks reported since 1990.

‘Boer’ refers to the Afrikaans word for farmer and more colloquially refers to the descendants of South Africa’s first Dutch settlers.

The Reaction:

According to Journalist Marvin Charles, Dr. Ivan Meyer of the Western Cape’s Executive Council for Agriculture has labeled Malema’s actions as ‘vile’. Adding that “farmers and agri-workers do not deserve the vile sentiments expressed in the song, which was so enthusiastically and irresponsibly sung over the weekend.”

In response to the outcry, EFF members referred to a 2022 High Court judgment on the song’s lyrics, which claimed that the plaintiff, civil rights organization AfriForum, failed to illustrate how the lyrics “demonstrate a clear intention to harm or incite violence.”

With many of South Africa’s institutions marred by claims of corruption, an appeal of the court’s decision will be heard in the Supreme Court in September.

As a result, Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen announced his party’s plan to file charges against the EFF at the United Nations Human Rights Council, claiming that, in light of South Africa’s already tense social dynamics, Malema is “determined to start a civil war.”

This move by the EFF has resulted in the collapse of dialogue and any thought of coalitions between the three main political parties (EFF, ANC, and DA). Furthermore, with the 2024 general election around the corner, it is thought that for the first time since 1994, the ANC may not achieve enough votes for a majority in the National Assembly.

This is a slogan Julius Malema was taught to chant by the late Lion of The North Peter Mokaba…..at some point former President Mbeki was called upon to speak and defend Mokaba on this slogan………. pic.twitter.com/CwL5Vh6f09

— #LordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) July 31, 2023