Screenshots of the video clip showing Malema’s utterances on land expropriation policy
* Calls Trump’s press conference as an interaction dominated by white privileged men, who have amassed wealth at the expense of African people
* The EFF is proud that its legislative and political agenda, led by Malema has shaken the corridors of imperialism in Washington
By Duncan Mlanjira
South Africa’s firebrand freedom fighter Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has responded to a press conference that US President Donald Trump convened in Washington in the presence of President Cyril Ramaphosa, that took a swipe at the Rainbow country’s land expropriation policy.
Advertisement
In what has been viewed as a diplomatic ambush as evidenced by Ramaphosa’s body language as Trump ordered to play video clips of Malema’s statements and anti-apartheid chants in defence of land expropriation policy, Malema’s EFF issued a statement on Wednesday from South Africa after the press conference went viral.
Malema’s EFF described the press briefing — held jointly by South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump — as a “pretext of discussing diplomatic, trade and economic relations [that] ended up being a discussion about Malema”.
It emphasised that Malema — president and commander-in-chief of the EEF — hold “correct and principled position regarding the return of the land to African people, and the return of the means of production into the hands of the African majority”.
“In what comes as no surprise, Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation which was constituted by the likes of Stellebosch racist billionaire, Johann Rupert; Donald Trump’s golfing buddy, Ernie Els; and [South Africa] Minister of Agriculture and leader of the racist Democratic Alliance (DA), John Steenhuisen, was an interaction dominated by white privileged men, who have amassed wealth at the expense of African people, who spent a majority of the time expressing their hatred of the EFF and of its leader Julius Malema.
The statement further says Trump proceeded to play numerous clips of Malema in which Malema “spoke correctly about the unequal distribution of land in South Africa and sang the chant ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer’, which is a song that expresses the desire to destroy the system of white minority control over the resources of South Africa”.
“The liberation chant was considered as part of African heritage by the Equality Court, which also said the song could not be interpreted literally. The Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court of South Africa then ratified this decision.
Advertisement
“In an act of cowardice, Cyril Ramaphosa blatantly denounced the rulings of the courts of the country he is President of, and this was then followed by insults from John Steenhuisen, who then confirmed that they reached a pact with the African National Congress’s (ANC) to keep the EEF out of power.
“This pact was a clear collusion to prevent genuine transformation in South Africa. Additionally, this meeting between Ramaphosa and Trump has led to the inadvertent confirmation of the consolidation of the 2024 alliance between while minority and the neoliberal and counter-revolutionary ANC.”
The EEF further says Johann Rupert then followed, “identifying Malema as his enemy for over 10 years, and the citing their relationship since Malema’s days in the once vibrant ANC Youth League”.
“The true intentions of the meeting were then revealed as Rupert went to lobby for the allowing of Elon Musk’s Starlink to operate in South Africa. The dominance of white male voices in the entire interaction proves and vindicates the EFF that the delegation was one that sought to make assurances to Trump that the transformation agenda of South Africa is one that can be compromised on upon negotiation.
“All of the utterances by Ramaphosa’s delegation point to a devious plot to rekindle relations with a maniacal Trump administration by sacrificing our sovereignty at the alter of convenience.
“The South African delegation was at pains to explain how they have no interest in redressing the unequal patterns of land ownership in South Africa using what is now constitutionally provisioned as nil compensation through the Expropriation Act.
“The entire delegation failed dismally at countering the false narrative of a white genocide in South Africa, by contrasting the narrative through evidence-based statistics and date around crime in our country that affects all South Africans.
“South Africa has been embarrassed by a delegation that was contradicting itself, that abandoned decisions and at times was simply grovelling and lying.”
Advertisement
The EFF thus says it is “proud that its legislative and political agenda [led by Malema] has shaken the corridors of imperialism in Washington”.
“Our Commander-in-Chief can be considered in the lines of great revolutionaries, as Donald Trump, in his illiterate rants, has called for his arrest for daring to call for land expropriation without compensation.
“As a result, the EFF is concerned by this call that something must be done to stop the EFF President from chanting a liberation song. Therefore, the EFF will continue to keenly follow the developments in Washington and reiterates that we will oppose any compromising of our laws to allow for Starlink to operate in South Africa, and we will oppose any reversal of transformative legislation including that which will allow for expropriation of land.
“We will defend our constitutional democracy and never bow and succumb to imperialism. All those opposed to the dominance of the few by the many must never fear and must chant loudly against the system of oppression — dhubuka iBhulu! Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer! Victory is Certain!”
* Weather updates
