“Kill the boer” cannot be seen as anything other than hate speech

25 August 2022

The FF Plus is disappointed by the Equality Court in Johannesburg's judgment today that the slogan and singing the struggle song "Kill the boer" do not constitute hate speech.

Judge Edwin Molahlehi indicated that there are various technical points affecting the judgment, including the fact that, in his view, there was not sufficient evidence to prove that the song does indeed come down to hate speech.

The reality, however, is that the FF Plus already succeeded in having the song declared hate speech by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) at the beginning of 2000. It is, therefore, hard to understand why the Equality Court has now ruled that it is not hate speech.

In 2003, the police issued a report on farm attacks and murders under the then National Commissioner, Jackie Selebi. The report found that statements by politicians incite people to violence and that it is one of the causes of farm attacks and murders.

AfriForum has indicated that it will appeal the Court's judgment, and the FF Plus wants to see the matter brought before the Constitutional Court.

If this slogan is seen as lawful, it could cause serious conflict and division in South Africa seeing as other groups might tend to start using similarly negative and inflammatory statements.

It is totally unacceptable that a song that clearly incites people to murder farmers is seen as no more than a symbolic struggle song.

After 28 years of democracy, the situation in South Africa has reached a point where there is no room for inflammatory statements.

It must not be tolerated. The FF Plus is of the opinion that the song is definitely inciting violence and that if it is declared lawful it will lead to an increase in the number of farm attacks and murders.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 25 August 2022