What did Julius Malema mean when he said, “You must never be afraid to kill”?
Judge Mark Sher heard evidence by Dr Karien van den Berg, a senior lecturer at North West University specialising in linguistics and applied linguistics, to help the Equality Court in Cape Town understand what Malema’s words meant, on Monday.
The case dates back to Malema’s speech at an EFF event in the Western Cape in October 2022, which the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) found amounted to hate speech and incitement to violence.
Van der Berg’s report found Malema’s statements, such as “You must never be afraid to kill”, qualified as hate speech in that those he addressed were to respond violently to put an end to racism.
“The speech falls under the field of political activism, aiming to challenge the audience and inspire action ... The speech also focuses on the organisation’s response to racism and violence,” said Van den Berg.
The speaker criticises the organisation for not addressing instances of violence by white males, emphasising the need for a strong response and commitment to confronting racism
— Dr Karien van den Berg, senior lecturer in linguistics and applied linguistics at NWU
During her analysis one of the values she took from the speech was “violence”, especially when Malema said, “You must never be afraid to kill” and “to meet one’s maker”, a metaphor meaning “to die”.
“The speaker criticises the organisation for not addressing instances of violence by white males, emphasising the need for a strong response and commitment to confronting racism.”
She said repetition of the declarations were relevant as they served the purpose of emphasis, showing that an average member of the audience would be able to understand the message in the context of the event.
The SAHRC took the politician to the Equality Court, after he refused to apologise and retract his statement within their 10-day deadline, in November 2022.
Malema was also flagged for saying at the event, “You must never be afraid to kill, a revolution requires killing at some point, because killing is part of the revolutionary act.”
Complaints were lodged related to specific statements allegedly made by Malema in reference to the “Battle of Brackenfell” where residents and the red berets had a brawl outside a high school.
EFF members protested outside the school after a matric ball, organised by parents in 2020 at the school, stirred up racial tensions after it emerged it had been attended exclusively by white pupils. The school was later cleared of racism allegations by the SAHRC.
Among those who picketed outside Brackenfell High School was the co-complainant in the civil case being heard now, Dante van Wyk.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.