EFF Leader Julius Malema Drops a Bombshell Amid Heated High Court Testimony: "I'm Not Scared of Killing"
- EFF leader Julius Malema made a series of strong assertions during cross-examination in the High Court in Johannesburg
- Malema dismissed being afraid of death amid a heated verbal exchange with AfriForum's legal representative Mark Oppenheimer
- South Africans were resounding in their response to Malema's testimony on social media, with many praising the politician for his honesty
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JOHANNESBURG - Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema's testimony in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg came to a head with a bold assertion on Thursday.
Amid his cross-examination by Mark Oppenheimer, the politician pronounced that was not afraid to die as he had already died some time ago. Malema was testifying in the hate speech matter brought against the EFF by civil rights organisation AfriForum.
Source: Twitter
Briefly News previously reported that the case relates to the controversial struggle song, "Dubul'ibhunu", which loosely translates to "Shoot the Boer", that the party is known to sing at its rallies.
Malema made the statement about not being afraid to die during a heated exchange with AfriForum's lawyer, TimesLIVE reported.
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"I'm not afraid of dying. It beats me why I'm still alive as I died long ago. I'm [also] not scared of killing. A revolutionary is a walking killing machine. I will kill if ever I'm required to do so, especially if it is to defend my people," said Malema.
Land under white control
He said South Africa had not achieved economic power despite realising democracy almost 28 years ago. The provocateur leader lamented the dismissal of the decades-long trauma black South Africans have suffered resulting from apartheid.
IOL reported that amid his testimony, Malema argued that the lion's share of farming land was still under the control of white people. It came after Oppenheimer indicated that hundreds of years had gone by since the land was taken, noting the current generation of white farmers should not be categorised as "land grabbers".
Malema then responded sharply, saying:
"They stole our land and handed it to their offspring. [As such] those children are also guilty of thievery for possessing stolen land. Those that inherited stolen land are also guilty."
Malema attracts widespread praise
South Africans had a resounding response to Malema's testimony. Malema's supporters praised him for being frank on the stand, while others debated the truth behind his assertions.
Briefly News takes a look at some of the loudest reactions below.
@Tony Li wrote:
"I am Julius Malema and Julius Malema is me. His honesty is so refreshing. We have been quiet for the longest time while living under serious economic oppression.We need a SAVIOUR and I think in Julius we might have a chance."
@Craig Simpson said:
"Young Lions are fearless leaders, more young Lions should be granted the opportunity, our youth bring a new dimension to politics, enthusiasm and lots of energy with authority to be successful and improve livelihoods from real-life challenges in order to boost the economy."
@Boutros Alick added:
"And trust me..... it's not the politicians who can win that economic power..... their prowess in that regard is irrelevant and has reached its sell-by date."
Malema reacts to 'Kill the Boer' song in court
Elsewhere, Briefly News recently reported that Malema stated that AfriForum was creating unnecessary panic among white South Africans.
Malema reiterated there was no conscious plan to kill farmers or white people. Instead, the politician highlighted that the country was already facing rampant crime, including murder.
AfriForum wants the Equality Court to instruct EFF leaders to apologise, declare the song as hate speech and for the party to pay R500 000 in punitive damages. While on the stand during cross-examination by the prosecution, Malema was asked to listen to an excerpt of "Dubul'ibhunu".
Source: Briefly News
