AfriForum upset with Malema’s ‘opinion that black people own the fish in the sea‚ mountains‚ big five‚ trees’

AfriForum said on Tuesday that it “has instructed its legal team to investigate the different options to react to the statements made by Julius Malema outside the Magistrate’s Court in Newcastle”.

According to the group‚ “Malema said inter alia that he wanted to disturb white people’s peace‚ that all land in South Africa belonged to black people and that this land should be taken from white people without compensation”.

But also problematic for AfriForum was the Economic Freedom Fighters leader’s “opinion that black people own the fish in the sea‚ as well as the mountains‚ the big five‚ trees‚ diamonds and platinum”.

“He further made various other statements against white people”‚ it said.

AfriForum did not mention the other statements‚ but TMG Digital reported on Monday night that the Democratic Alliance and the Freedom Front Plus were mulling legal action over Malema’s comment that "we are not calling for the slaughter of white people‚ at least for now…”.

Malema made this comment on Monday after he appeared in the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court on charges of contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act of 1956 for for calling on people to occupy vacant land around the country.

AfriForum deputy CEO Ernst Roets said: “It is evident that Malema drives a populist agenda and that he does not heed the realities that South Africa faces‚ or the sustainability of his proposed solutions. His only priority is his own political career.”