CAPE TOWN – A South African politician, who has been pointed out by the Trump administration as leading an anti-white movement, was found guilty of hate speech on Wednesday due to comments he made in 2022 that stirred racial tensions.
Julius Malema, who is the leader of a small opposition party, was found guilty by an equality court over comments he made at a political rally.
At a rally, Malema stated, “No white man is going to beat me up and then I call myself a revolutionary the next day. You should never fear to kill. A revolution sometimes requires killing as part of its process.”
Malema had previously faced a hate speech charge in a different case for chanting an apartheid-era song at rallies, including the phrase “shoot the boer.” The term “boer” refers to South Africa’s white Afrikaner farmers. Although he was initially found guilty, that verdict was later overturned.
Leading the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party, Malema was featured in a video shown by U.S. President Donald Trump during a May meeting with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa. The video, used in the Oval Office, was aimed at confronting Ramaphosa with unsubstantiated claims that the South African government was permitting the mass killing of white farmers for land confiscation.
This claim forms the basis of the Trump administration’s decision to halt financial aid to South Africa, accusing the Black-led government of anti-white and anti-American policies. In response, the South African government argues that the criticisms are founded on misinformation.
Although an influential political figure, Malema holds no government position, yet his speeches have sparked controversy within South Africa. His public remarks, including support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, led to his visa application being denied twice by the U.K. this year.
Equality courts in South Africa deal specifically with allegations of discrimination, hate speech and harassment based on race, gender or sexual orientation. They can order those found guilty to issue a public apology, pay compensation or recommend them for criminal prosecution. No order has yet been made over Malema’s punishment in the latest case.
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