I have written today to South African Human Rights Commission (HRC) Chairperson Jody Kollapen requesting that the HRC investigate what appears to be yet another incitement to violence by ANC Youth League President Julius Malema.

Speaking at a funeral in Vrederfort yesterday (Sunday 13 July), Malema is alleged to have called for the "elimination" of the Democratic Alliance amongst other ‘counter revolutionary' elements.

In the context of Mr Malema's previous exhortation for people to "kill in support of Jacob Zuma", it is not unreasonable to assume that Malema is calling for the killing of members of the DA or those who are earnestly working in our judicial institutions to ensure that justice is dispensed without fear of favour.

Malema may have adjusted his vocabulary, but his intensions clearly remain the same.

Given the high levels of violence prevalent in our society and South Africa 's history of intolerance such comments are not only reckless in the extreme, they constitute a clear and present danger to our constitutional order.

We are approaching an election next year and Mr Malema's comments will only serve to create a climate of intolerance and an acceptance of violence as a tool with which to further political ends. This can only end in blood shed.

It is important that HRC takes up its critical constitutional responsibility to protect the human rights of South Africans and use all avenues open to it to clamp down on similar statements being made in the future. This includes recourse to the equality court to obtain the necessary injunctions, or by laying criminal charges as the Democratic Alliance has already done.

By backing down on its original demand of an apology and accepting Malema's assurance that he will never use the word kill again in public, we believe the HRC has created the space for Malema to undermine our democracy.

By using the word "eliminate", Malema is rubbishing the HRC's response to the original June 16 utterance. If the HRC fails to take swift action against Malema now, then it is likely that we will see Malema merely finding more synonyms for the word "kill" in future statements.

While it may be tempting to dismiss Malema as a crackpot, or politically immature, he has an important position in the ANC structures and no one should be under any illusions about the likely consequences of such statements for the future legitimacy of opposition in South Africa 's democracy.

Statement issued by Sandra Both MP, Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader, July 14 2008