TWO months after the Equality Court banned the controversial freedom songDubul' ibhunu (Shoot The Boer), ANC Youth League president Julius Malema sang it on stage in Mauritius.
Last week, the Sunday Times reported how Malema jetted out of Johannesburg on Friday for an all-expenses-paid weekend of booze, parties and luxury at the wedding of his friend David Mabilu.
On Sunday evening, as popular house DJs, including Black Coffee, Oskido, Vinny, Ganyani and Christos, entertained the 300 guests at the five-star Long Beach Hotel, Malema was coaxed on stage to sing the controversial song.
He initially refused, telling the crowd that every time he sang it, he got into "trouble".
Dressed in light-blue bermudas, a short-sleeve striped shirt and a fedora, Malema stood on stage as the DJs shouted, "What happens in Mauritius stays in Mauritius." They added, "Mauritius is not South Africa."
Soon Malema began dancing and singing the song, using his fingers to demonstrate the shape of a handgun.
While most cheered and sang along, some were stunned.
Said one guest: "It was in poor taste and not appropriate for such an event."
On Friday, it emerged that Malema had lost an application for leave to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court against the banning of the song.
Yesterday, he said he could not remember whether he sang the song.
"I was in Mauritius in a private function of a comrade, and we sang many songs there. It's possible we might have sang that song, I can't remember," he said. "But even if I sang it, there is nothing illegal I've done, because there is an appeal ... and that appeal has not been heard. But I'm not denying, neither confirming that I sang the song."
In court papers stamped on Wednesday, the court ruled it was not in the interests of justice for it to hear the application at this stage. Malema and the ANC earlier also lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Guests at the three-day wedding included Malema's business partner, Lesiba Gwangwa, youth league spokes-man Floyd Shivambu, businessman Sello Rasethaba, soccer boss Bobby Motaung, actresses Lerato Moloi and Sonia Sedibe and a host of politicians.
On September 12, Judge Colin Lamont found Malema guilty of hate speech for singing the song. The court interdicted everyone against singing the song.
The hate-speech trial was brought against Malema by AfriForum and the Transvaal Agricultural Union.
Malema was granted leave to appeal by Judger Lamont, who said there was a "reasonable prospect" another court could come to a different conclusion.
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