Lobby group AfriForum and the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) have launched a detailed charge sheet against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, named the Malema Dossier, to be distributed internationally.
During a media conference on Wednesday, the organisations announced that they were continuing the fight against the “Kill the Boer” chant internationally by officially requesting that countries impose targeted sanctions against Malema.
In April, AfriForum urged the international community to impose sanctions against Malema and others who they say are guilty of gross human rights violations through their alleged public calls for violence against Afrikaners and farmers.
During this year's Human Rights Day commemoration in Sharpeville, Malema sang the anti-apartheid ‘Kill the Boer’ chant. AfriForum had previously lost its appeal in the Constitutional Court to have the chant declared hate speech.
However, last week, in another case, the Western Cape Equality Court found Malema guilty of hate speech in a case stemming from comments made at an EFF rally in 2022.
The case was brought by the South African Human Rights Council and another and Malema was found to have had the intention to incite violence and promote hatred.
AfriForum says its Malema Dossier provides a comprehensive account of alleged hate speech, incitement to violence, and examples of his statements, allegedly in support of terrorist organisations and terrorist acts.
It also contains a comprehensive report by AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit head Advocate Gerrie Nel and his team regarding the allegations of corruption against Malema.
The organisations explained that its decision to fight Malema’s ‘Kill the Boer’ chant internationally is necessitated by the fact that the Constitutional Court has, in practice, “legalised Malema’s incitement to violence” through this chant, while President Cyril Ramaphosa “decisively refuses to condemn this promotion of hatred”.
In April, AfriForum urged Ramaphosa to publicly condemn the anti-apartheid ‘Kill the Boer’ chant.
AfriForum board member Werner Human has been delegated to hand over the Malema Dossier to key role-players, with whom meetings are scheduled in Washington during his and Solidarity’s upcoming visit to the US.
AfriForum will also send a delegate to Europe later this year to garner support for targeted sanctions against Malema.
Saai and AfriForum are scheduled to engage in discussions locally with various countries’ embassies regarding action against Malema.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said he was confident in AfriForum and Saai’s international request for targeted sanctions against Malema, saying “it will bear fruit”.
He noted Britain’s refusal to grant Malema a visa recently, as well as the American Magnitsky Act, which ensures targeted sanctions against individuals who support terrorism and otherwise violate human rights.
AfriForum cited these as indications that international sanctions against Malema and others who chant ‘Kill the Boer’ were a strong possibility.
AfriForum head of public relations Ernst van Zyl said the organisation would continue its “years-long mission” of ensuring that Malema “does not only face justice locally, but guarantees that his actions will also be denounced abroad so that he can face the consequences internationally”.
Saai executive director Dr Theo de Jager said the legal system had failed armers at the highest level.
“… that is why the professional compilation of a crime dossier and the internationalisation of our search for justice are such important steps,” he stated.
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