AfriForum Slams Constitutional Court Ruling, Also Accuses President of Unspoken Approval of Violence

• AfriForum has expressed unhappiness with the Constitutional Court and the President
• The group accused the judges of using personal ideologies to interpret the Constitution
• AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel accused the President of giving his unspoken approval to calls for violence

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent ten years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism

GAUTENG – AfriForum is unhappy with the Constitutional Court and the President at the moment after Julius Malema sang the Kill the Boer song once again.

The Economic Freedom Fighters leader sang the struggle chant on 21 March at a rally to commemorate the Sharpeville Massacre.

AfriForum takes issue with Constitutional Court judges

With the EFF leader making headlines for singing the song during a time when there is already division, Afriforum approached the Constitutional Court. In 2020, the group approached the Equality Court to have it declared as hate speech, but the court ruled against them.

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The organisation then approached the Constitutional Court, but its application for leave to appeal the judgment was dismissed.

The group has since accused the judges of using their personal ideologies to interpret the Constitution.

“We see more and more ideologically driven judges. This, together with the fact that the presidency as well as the government refuses to condemn these slogans that call for the killing of Afrikaners, means that we are on our own,” Afriforum CEO Kallie Kriel said.

AfriForum takes aim at President Cyril Ramaphosa

The lobby group also called out President Cyril Ramaphosa for failing to condemn the chant.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cold reaction and refusal to condemn Kill the Boer shows that he gives his unspoken approval to calls for violence against Afrikaners and other targeted minorities,” Kriel said.

This was in response to Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya’s statement where he maintained that Ramaphosa would not condemn the “Kill the Boer” chant.

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Magwenya’s statement was in response to a letter from AfriForum, who wrote to the president asking him to speak out against Malema’s singing of the song.

The group also accused the President of treating their letter with contempt, something they say he has done before

What you need to know about uproar surrounding the Kill the Boer song

• Afriforum laid charges of hate speech against Malema in 2022 for singing the song at a rally
• AfriForum announced it would appeal the court's ruling not to declare the song hate speech
• Gayton McKenzie slammed the song in 2023, saying it had no place in a democratic South Africa
• Former president Thabo Mbeki condemned Malema singing the song during an address at the University of South Africa
• Billionaire Elon Musk took a swipe at Economic Freedom Fighter president Julius Malema for singing the song

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Marco Rubio condemns anti-Apartheid chant

Briefly News reported that United States' Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, weighed in on the 'Kill the Boer' chant.

Rubio weighed in on the chant after EFF president Malema sang the song on Human Rights Day, 21 March 2025.

Rubio said that the chant incited violence, as he called on South African leaders to protect Afrikaners and disfavoured minorities.

Source: Briefly News