Overview

• At a press conference on May 27 in Cape Town, President Cyril Ramaphosa refused to detain EFF leader Julius Malema for chanting “Kill the Boer” and described it as a liberation slogan.
• He cited the Constitutional Court’s verdict that classified the slogan as part of political heritage and not criminal hate speech.
• U.S. President Donald Trump has urged South Africa to label the chant evidence of white genocide and to prosecute Malema for incitement after rally footage.
• The South African government has opened treason probes into Afrikaner advocacy groups over their campaigns highlighting white farmers’ security concerns.
• South Africa’s constitution prohibits race-based calls to violence, a provision central to disputes over land reform and freedom of expression.