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Ramaphosa reacted to Trump’s call for EFF leader Julius Malema’s arrest.
US President Donald Trump and Piers Morgan. Picture: X/@piersmorgan
Controversial UK talk show host Piers Morgan has slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s comments that “Kill The Boer” is a “liberation chant” and should not be taken literally.
Ramaphosa made the remarks on the sidelines of the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium (SIDSSA) held at the Century City Convention Centre on Tuesday. The president delivered the keynote address at the symposium.
Ramaphosa ambush
His comments come a week after US President Donald Trump ambushed Ramaphosa with graphic footage falsely claiming “white genocide” against South African farmers.
During the bilateral talks, which played out before the media, the US president showed videos of EFF leader Julius Malema chanting “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer” to support his false belief in genocide against whites in the country, asking why the red berets leader has not been arrested.
ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘Dim the lights’ — Ramaphosa pokes fun at Trump meeting
‘Sovereign issue’
Speaking to reporters, Ramaphosa reacted to Trump’s call for Malema’s arrest.
“When it comes to the issues of arresting anyone for any slogan, that is a sovereign issue. It’s not a matter of where we need to be instructed by anyone to go and arrest this one. We are a very proud sovereign country that has its own laws and processes.
“We take it to account where the Constitutional Court also decided when it said that the slogan ‘Kill the Boer’, ‘Kill the Farmer’ is a liberation chant and slogan and it’s not meant to be a message that illicitly calls upon anyone to go and be killed,” Ramaphosa said.
Morgan reacts
However, Ramaphosa’s comment did not sit well with Morgan.
“Oh come off it, Mr President – it’s literally a threat, and incitement, to kill,” Morgan said in a post on X.
ALSO READ: Trump changes tune and ‘agrees’ to participate in G20 Summit, Ramaphosa says
Ramaphosa said South Africa is a country where “freedom of expression is the bedrock of our constitution”.
‘Kill the Boer’
In March, lobby group AfriForum suffered a final blow in its attempt to have the controversial chant “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer” declared as hate speech.
The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) delivered a brief ruling dismissing AfriForum’s application for leave to appeal.
The ConCourt concluded that the application “bears no reasonable prospects of success”.
Malema not intimidated
On Sunday, Malema said he doesn’t fear for his life after Trump called for his arrest.
Addressing EFF supporters during a rally in Ward 16, Koppies, in the Free State on Africa Day, Malema said he would never be intimidated by Trump.
“Well, I’m not fearful. As a revolutionary, part of being killed is one of those honours you must wear with pride, but I’m not going to be reckless. When he says to Ramaphosa, why is this man not in jail, why are you not arresting this man? He simply means, why are you not killing this man, because this man wants to kill white people? That’s what he believes.”
Malema said Ramaphosa could not present the facts to Trump.
“I will never stop singing a song that Winnie Mandela sang. That would be a betrayal to the struggle of our people”.
Malema criticised Ramaphosa and his delegation for their failure to defend the constitution of South Africa, particularly the right to freedom of speech in the context of the “Kill the Boer”.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Donald Trump ambushes Cyril Ramaphosa in Oval Office
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