The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are once again in hot water with lobby group AfriForum after leader Julius Malema belted out the contentious struggle song Dubula ibhunu at a rally in Sharpeville on Friday.
The chant, which roughly translates to “Shoot the boer”, has long been a flashpoint in South Africa’s political landscape. AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel insists that its continued use fuels concerns that white Afrikaners are under threat. However, the courts have disagreed. In 2022, the Equality Court ruled that the song does not constitute hate speech, a decision reaffirmed by the Supreme Court of Appeal last year, which stated the lyrics aren’t meant to be taken literally.
Malema, never one to shy away from controversy, used the rally to challenge the official Human Rights Day narrative, arguing instead for a focus on those killed under apartheid. His defiant stance raises deeper questions: Is the past being honored, or are old wounds being reopened? And in a country still grappling with inequality, where does free speech end and incitement begin?
What’s your take—historical remembrance or dangerous rhetoric?
