ANC OK with Malema singing "shoot the boer"

JOHANNESBURG (Sapa) - The ruling ANC defended youth leader Julius Malema on Thursday for singing, "shoot the boers, they are rapists", saying the lyrics of the song had been quoted out of context.

"Let's discuss appropriately on this matter. Don't blame Julius. In fact, on this one, I will defend him," ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu told Sapa by phone on Thursday morning.

"This song was sung for many years even before Malema was born... Julius doesn't even know who's the writer of the song. He got it from us [the ANC]. You must blame the ANC, don't blame Julius. But when you blame the ANC, then contextualise it."

Mthembu said the song was an old struggle song that Malema learnt from his ANC colleagues.

There were many songs in South Africa's history that could offend people, he said.

"I know of songs that sing of generals... but let's leave that aside," he said, declining to name the song, but in a clear hint to the Afrikaans hit, "De la Rey", about a general in the Anglo-Boer war.

The song Malema sang was not meant to attack boers, said Mthembu.

"If you don't look at the song in its entirety, then you lose the meaning," he said, before starting to sing it to Sapa during the telephonic interview.

Mthembu then explained: "It [the song] says, 'some people are cowards', it says, 'use your gun to shoot', because it is reminiscent of fighting a war."

It refers to all people who are cowards, including blacks who were cowards, Mthembu said.

"[It is about]... black people who were cowards... it means oppressive forces, it means those who are against transformation, those who are saying this ANC regime is against the 'blanke volk' [the white nation].

"There are some white people who say so, who say we were better off with white 'volk' in government."

Mthembu said he knew not all white people said this.

The song was also sung in the past by white freedom fighters.

"Even when we sang the songs, we didn't want Joe Slovo to be killed. Ronnie Kasrils... in fact, they were leading us in those songs."

Malema is facing a criminal charge and a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for reportedly singing at the University of Johannesburg, "Dubula amabhunu baya raypha" (Zulu for, 'Shoot the boers, they are rapists) with a group of students.

The song is reminiscent of the late Peter Mokaba, a former ANC Youth League leader known for chanting the slogan, "kill the boer, kill the farmer" during the struggle against apartheid.

The Freedom Front Plus laid a criminal charge against Malema for allegedly advocating hate. The Afrikanerbond lodged a complaint with the SAHRC.

The Freedom Front Plus won an appeal related to the "kill the farmer, kill the Boer" slogan in 2003 when the SAHRC ruled it constituted hate speech.

Mthembu said people who were unhappy with the singing of the song should approach the ANC so it could be discussed.

"The issue is, indeed, some people might be correct that there might be songs we should not sing. Let them put them on the agenda and convince the ANC that we should not sing those songs and tell us why.

"But then they should also look at songs that were sung by the forces of oppression."

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ANC racism This song is extreme hate speech, and sure the ANC are ok with it. They are racist to the core. It is no less than a crime to defend hate speech, but then the ANC are deeply criminal. by Petr on March 11 2010, 16:00 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Says Jackson Mthembu speaking from PRISON! They're so backward, they jusy don't get it. This guy was 3x over the legal alcohol limit speaking from prison on behalf of the ANC. Look at the quality of their people. We're so clearly going the "A**********". by Kevin on March 11 2010, 16:19 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The Rise of Julius ... I was wondering whether white capitalism, white greed, white exploitation, white materialism, white privilege, white racism, white arrogance and white denial should not accept some of the blame for the rise of Julius? Who, I wonder, put that grotesque . .more statue of Saint Madiba in the holiest of South African shrines: Mandela Square? Who paid the black political elites to compromise South Africans and preserve the status quo? Justice and accountability must prevail. Including economic and social justice. If justice does not prevail revenge will. It really is that simple. . .less by Carl Wille on March 11 2010, 16:20 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

But JZ also sing "Mshini Wami" at his Rape and Theft Trials? JZ, Malema and current ANC are the same; they threatened the Rape victim until she relocated overseas and called the judiciary Counter Revolutionary and led by apartheid judges! It is the ARVs they are taking driving them pop dronk! by Mute Fool on March 11 2010, 16:31 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Carl Wille No, its not that simple. You are omitting ANC greed,materialism, privilege, racism etc. Justice should apply to all people not just whites. by Petr on March 11 2010, 16:32 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Now we understand why so much nonsense is spoken Well now we understand why Jackson does not make sense most of the time, he is drunk. These tests as we were told are admissable in court. Jub Jub and Jackson just too much drink at odd times of the day it seems. by notdrunk on March 11 2010, 17:11 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ Carl Wille.... more "white" denialism Carl, I think I get your unchanging, lop-sided drift.... & to me it comes across less convincing each time you post it. No, things are not as simple as you try to suggest; they are simpler. It is not a colour thing this denialism. Denialism is . .more dishonesty or untruthfullness &, if it breaks any law - it becomes a criminal matter. If a person is liar he is a liar - whether black or white, SAcan or Brit is not relevant. You see, whilst we might all be capable; we are NOT all culpable.... but you seem to keep posting as if we are, all of us. If, as you write, the black elite of SA were (all of them?) bought out by "greedy, capitalist, materialist, privelege seeking, arrogant, denialist, racists" - then are those black elites not now fully paid-up members of the same club? Are these black elites not now equally qualified with the same adjectives you always seek to attach solely to "white" denialists? Could you consider being a little more thoughtfully balanced in your offerings? Thanx, Chikurubi Graduate 1988 :) . .less by John Austin, LONDON on March 11 2010, 18:00 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ Carl Wille sorry to say, but i disagree with your agruement and again feel it does not hold water....you see, there are many nations on earth that through history have undergone oppression, but many of these have moved on and rebuilt themselves into major . .more players....so, while it may be convenient to blame certain races for all the woes, this does nothing to uplift and empower the nation to move on.....julius malema is a dangerous dictator in the making and at times displays psychotic behaviour....he should be in a home!!! . .less by onlooker on March 11 2010, 18:27 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Dissappointment It is very much dissapointing that after 15 years of freedom, we are still hearing such UNWELCOMED SONGS!!!! It is afact Apartheid oppressed both blacks and whites. It poluted whites' way of thinking as well as of blacks. It is overdue that we shoud . .more build this country and stop RELAPSING BACK to nonsensecal and barbaric talk or songs. We don't need such BACKWARD MENTALITYfor we owe it to our children.So, Mr Mthembu, it's begin to be responsible and show maturity.....Drink and driving demonstrate level of your CHARACTER. Grow, Mthembu grow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . .less by magebalife on March 11 2010, 21:49 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Poor Mr Jackson Mr Jackson gets drunk just to avoid reality bcz l wonder he will apologise for his behaviour.What happened to the ANC of the late Tambos,G.Mbekis?They honestly did not come up with cheap politics. And by the way is Jackson expecting white youth to . .more sing 'kill the kaffirs,kill the monkeys' just to settle the scores?The ANC is digging its own grave everyday and is doing so with passion and arrogance. . .less by XOLILE on March 11 2010, 22:41 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

ANC OK with the song ? That means that they are against a unified South African Nation working together for all of us. None of us would have believed that by now they would not have used South African tax payers money to educate our people and equip them with skills. . .more Imagine if they had used all the money pouring in to this country for a good many years to upgrade the underclass. Instead they shut down gov nursing colleges attached to teaching hospitals. Two useless ministers of health rode every hosp in the ground. Shut down teachers training colleges, shut down technical schools, had to give back money donated by the EU with specific outcomes for upgrading schools in Eastern Cape , Kwazulu Natal, Limpopo!!!!Just because they did not get round to it in the allotted 5yrs. Now they diverting their failures to blaming the whites! There is no struggle, but they want war? Who would have believed that the boarders would be thrown open for millions of other nationalities to pour in resulting in a population explosion of mammoth proportions. Almost every waiter, every petrol attendant,every security guard is non SA. Now kill the whites is the answer. DISGUSTING . .less by didi on March 11 2010, 22:44 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

White priviledge "Priviledge" was a comet that hit the earth sometime in the past. The people close to the impact crater suddenly become more educated, more sophisticated and affluent. Wonderfull prizes eminated from that "priviledge" comet, like . .more agriculture, technology, engineering, medicine, etc, etc, etc....... Now those people immediately became racists because they just did not want to share the "priviledge". They schemed up a devious, diabolical plan to keep all other peoples from gaining access to it. What was their plan? . . . they painted it white! It is possible that the comet was part of a larger body that broke up before it hit the atmosphere because, apparently, a similar comet hit Japan and another one in China, and reports of some others as well. Africa was never hit by a priviledge comet and the racists who did have access to the original priviledge just did not want to share what they got, free, from outer space. It is really anomolous that the Dominican Republic got a large piece of the comet, but Haiti, which is on te same little island got absolutely zero priviledge from outer space. We just don't understand it!? . .less by Arqee Logical on March 11 2010, 22:47 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Mthembu "...shoot Mthembu, he's (allegedly) a drunk driver.... shoot the drunk driver, he's a killer.." by Kamerad on March 12 2010, 00:57 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

new struggle song Shoot the drunk driver, he's a killer....shoot the killer, he's drunk... Emma Malema, loop se ma vir jou Memma, Emma wil a baby he.... Now that we have General Cele, I suppose we will soon have Field Marshall, Lord of the Seas, Commander . .more of the Universe Malema. Happy days are here. . .less by Kamerad on March 12 2010, 01:01 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Freedom to plunder and destroy @ XOLILE Kunjani ? The names you name - are wise as well as educated people unlike the educated of today who are brainwashed dumb egos carrying a body. The old E.C. bred gentlemen not buffoons. by old, female on March 12 2010, 07:15 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

One Mthembu, one bullet! There is no context to this slogan, so it does not constitute hate speech. by Dr. Angelo Lambiris on March 12 2010, 07:28 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

wille?? Hello Domza is that you. I do not think that any other government in the world would be happy to have a spokesperson (or employee) who is arrested at 8am for alleged drunken driving. If this is the same man and the allegations are true he . .more should be fired and not be allowed to shoot his mouth off. . .less by Tickled Pinkish on March 12 2010, 07:49 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

"Dubula amabhunu" We were singing this songs during our struggle to lift the moral , and we are not going to apologise for singing our songs . Those would don't want to hear them ,let them close their ears . Remember it is us who liberated the country . by Jomo Segage on March 12 2010, 08:30 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Mal Emma I am happy! by Trigger on March 12 2010, 08:39 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Songs Why don't we teach them decent songs, eg. "Ring a ring a rosie" and a special one for Malema, "How the hell we can believe you?" Wonder how they would react if we sang, "Kill the F*******g blacks and necklace them". by Koos on March 12 2010, 08:45 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Tickled Pinkish Mthembu is not the spokesperson for government but for the party! His statements are a reflection on the party not government. Although sometimes I also do not know the difference between the two! by Juju on March 12 2010, 09:04 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

On The Contrary... I agree that singing such songs today is inappropriate due to a lot of potical and moral reasons. But when you start to speak of hate, racism etc with regards to the ANC and our young black people, you are getting it all wrong, white people are a master . .more at it and they dont have any intentions of integration....they are the worst racists, haters, liers and pretenders anywhere else in the world....i pity them . .less by White Capitalist on March 12 2010, 09:10 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Struggle song So is the old Sa flag a symbol of things past, but the whites have agreed to taboe it because of the sensitivities. Come on Jackson the struggle is long over - start governing the country in a responsible manner in terms of the mandate by the voters. by Fidel on March 12 2010, 09:33 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ jomo and after liberation? sit around a fire watching your cattle? your people are savages and idiots to boot, with only an ingrained need to self destruct... and the wabenzi will dry up and the capital and skills will leave.. believe . .more me.... and then you will say.. eish.. look, they stole the money.. its gone! dont bother coming into the 21st century, because you wouldnt understand it. . .less by Eddie on March 12 2010, 09:39 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

My struggle song I have an old struggle song it goes: kill the black, he is worth nothing. Kill the blacks, they are rapists. Now, to me that seems like hate speech. I wonder what a black person would think? by Rock Star on March 12 2010, 09:44 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Hate Speech I have been saying for years that the ANC was, is and always will be a "terrorist organisation", and now they are singing "kill the boer" again. How would they like it if the ultra-right wing started singing "kill the k[word]"? They would soon enough have . .more people in jail for doing that. Double standards! The ANC and the ANCYL have always been racist and will remain racist until decent people in this country actually do something to eradicate it, and if that means "kill the k[word]" then so be it. They would have deserved it. . .less by Ntaba Mhlope on March 12 2010, 10:04 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Jelly Baby andShower Head You get this type of non-human being leading a country BECAUSE they do not have schooling - Jelly Baby (unwanted child, no father) took 14 years to pass Matric with dismal results. Shower Head never went to school and therefore cannot read or write. If . .more he says he can, it means he took 10? years in jail to do three years of schooling. And this means: THEY ARE SO STUPID THAT IT IS NO WONDER THEY CAN ONLY TALK C***! O, sorry... Shower Head also knows how to impress black women. They, in turn, will sleep with anything that moves or gives them money or status. This is the nature of the non-human being. You cannot fight against a race that lives 100,000 years in the past. . .less by John Logan on March 12 2010, 11:32 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Liberation Hymns ! There is no HOPE IN THE NEW REPUBLIC.The sentiment currently being displayed in the republic does no good for nation building.My prediction shows the country will be in tribulation by Jan 2011 if no elder stateman comes to the rescue.WATCH by Joe on March 12 2010, 12:12 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

There you are Mr. Blatter. You see it's good to shoot the Boers and everybody else the ANC finds threatening. Think you better look after soccer teams while they are in Sa and tell them not to utter a word. That's of course if they are still coming to SA by Terrence on March 12 2010, 12:18 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Racist drunk Charge this racist drunk with hate speech. by Pieter Schoombee on March 12 2010, 12:26 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Mr. Blatter and the 2010 SWC organisers Please avail yourselves and issue all the teams and every visitor to the tournament with those bullet proof vests which were advertised at that very special price. Because as you can see and read it's going to be no picnic here in SA when it comes to . .more shooting people. Be aware and be warned. . .less by Terrence on March 12 2010, 12:31 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Jesshh Jacksshon ! Have another glasssh of Jonnnie Walker and sshing the sshong yoursshelf! by sc on March 12 2010, 12:39 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Struggle Song It's funny in this country.When the boers and farmers are killing and abusing the blacks,white cops still saying the "k" word to people and is not a big issue but just for Malema to sing his struggle song is a sin.Get real and start looking if you really . .more love & respect your black or white neighbour or collegue.It needs to start with individuals so that we can stop making issues out of tissues. . .less by Tebogo on March 12 2010, 13:31 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Tebogo If farmers kill or abuse people, there are existing laws to prosecute them, which invariably they are. If white cops use the K word, they should be prosecuted, which they are and their careers destroyed. If blacks use hate speech, they should be . .more prosecuted, but they never are. This helps to destroy the perception that the law of the land is being seriously undermined by the ruling party. At present, some fat politicos can get away to almost murder. The law has to be equal to everybody, regardless, otherwise is the usual banana republic chaos. I . .less by Injala Apera on March 12 2010, 14:41 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Tebogo Sorry, it should read: ...This further helps the perception that the law of the land in being seriously undermined by the ruling party. by Injala Apera on March 12 2010, 14:45 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

silly willie There is nothing, but nothing as P******* and pitiful as a guilty ridden and masochist creep as silly willie. Please, please, take my wife or daughter, otherwise me, but please, please, under no circumstances call me a racist... Sort of sick . .more reasoning. If his willie is as damaged as his ko, he must be a raving castrato. . .less by Injala Apera on March 12 2010, 14:54 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Disgusted What a bunch of disgusting human beings. If there is an afterlife I hope you all rot in hell. by Tembo on March 13 2010, 11:52 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Fascist and racist commentary. I agree with Tembo. Much as I object to slogans calling on people to kill one another, the comments on this page are equally fascist and racist. So we deserve the govermnent we have. by White woman. on March 13 2010, 14:22 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

New wine in old bottles! I am endlessly in wonder what the relevance of the ANC liberation songs is in the new South Africa. Perchance they might be signs of nostalgia, in which case they should be hummed privately. The Constitution resonates with values of forgiveness (to heal . .more the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights). It was equally perplexing when President Zuma, before he assumed the office of Presidency, would prance and sing "Awuleth'umshiniwami" (bring my machine gun) in public. As I recall it was Mr. Lekota who was brave enough to say that the song was not relevant in the new South Africa. But then, we have a lot of people who blindly and meekly pay blind patronage to our leaders even when they become irreverent and downright immoral. . .less by BantuSapiens on March 14 2010, 12:57 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@carl willie just paraphrasing: 'I was wondering whether black capitalism, black greed, black exploitation, black materialism, black privilege, black racism, black arrogance and black denial should not accept some of the blame for the rise of Julius? Who, I wonder, . .more agreed to put that grotesque statue of Saint Madiba in the holiest of South African shrines: Mandela Square? Which sell out well paid black political elites compromised South Africans to preserve the status quo? Justice and accountability must prevail. Including economic and social justice. If justice does not prevail revenge will. It really is that simple.' Not so simple really, because both sides seem to sing the same song and both are out on revenge... . .less by arnaud on March 14 2010, 21:32 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Justice Must Prevail I was wondering whether white capitalism, white greed, white exploitation, white materialism, white privilege, white racism, white arrogance and white denial should not accept SOME of the blame for the rise of Julius. Justice and accountability must . .more prevail. Including economic and social justice. If justice does not prevail, revenge, tragically, will. It really is that simple. . .less by Carl Wille on April 25 2010, 23:33 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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