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2h ago

South Africa’s Equality Court Convicts Julius Malema of Hate Speech Over 2022 ‘Kill’ Remarks

An appeal by Malema’s party now moves the case into a higher court, with any sanction still to be decided.

FILE - A video plays during a meeting between President Donald Trump and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, May 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - Economic Freedom Fighters party leader Julius Malema raises his fist at an election rally in Polokwane, South Africa, on May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
Julius Malema is the leader of the populist EFF party

Overview

  • Judge found Malema’s 2022 rally comments met the legal threshold for hate speech because they incited harm and propagated hatred.
  • At the rally, Malema told supporters they should “never be scared to kill” and called killing “part of a revolutionary act.”
  • The court said the remarks exhorted violence against white males linked to a 2020 confrontation at Brackenfell High School.
  • The EFF announced it will appeal, arguing the court ignored the political and historical context of the speech, and no remedial order has been issued.
  • Reactions spanned domestic and international arenas, with the Democratic Alliance welcoming the ruling as the U.S. controversy over a Trump-shown video and recent U.K. visa denials adding scrutiny.