AfriForum takes Malema to equality court

JOHANNESBURG - Civil rights group AfriForum’s youth division plans to hand a list of more than 1600 farm attacks to the ANC Youth League at Luthuli House on Thursday.

AfriForum Youth’s National Chairman, Ernst Roets, said the movement would also submit a complaint against ANCYL president Julius Malema to the equality court, directly after handing the list of farm attack victims over.

“These steps follow after Malema sang the song “dubula ibhunu” (shoot the boer”) at least twice at public occasions this past week,” said Roets.

“The list of victims that will be handed to the ANCYL serves to remind them that farm attacks are a reality in South Africa that cannot be taken lightly,” said Roets.

The list would be handed over at 1pm on Thursday.

Roets said Malema’s statements were extremely irresponsible and in no way justifiable.

“We are not busy with childish cowboys and crooks games,” said Roets.

“Real people are being murdered while Malema sings and sips champagne.”

He said the movement was inundated with complaints from people who were highly offended by Malema’s statements. “People are extremely emotional and many say that they fear for their lives.”

Roets said Afriforum Youth would ask the court to classify the song as hate speech and order Malema to apologise “unconditionally” for singing the song.

They would also ask the court to compel Malema to pay compensation to an organisation that assists farm attack victims.

They also want the case to be referred to the Director of Public Prosecution for Malema to be prosecuted on criminal charges.

- Sapa