Julius Malema and members of his party call for killing white women and children after Trump's sanctions on South Africa

Elon Musk called for the politician to be considered an international criminal and demands the country's president outlaw his party.

Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).AFP

Published by

Juan Peña

February 10, 2025

2 minutes read

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Julius Malema, leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is once again in the media spotlight. The controversial leftist figure has sparked outrage by inciting violence, urging his followers to kill white men and women.

This is not the first time Julius Malema has made such statements in public. He has a long history of inciting violence and spreading racial hatred. The latest incident occurred after the White House announced an end to international aid funding for South Africa.

One of the key factors behind the Trump administration’s decision was a regulation enacted by the South African government under the leftist ANC, led by Cyril Ramaphosa. The Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 grants authorities broad powers to carry out forced expropriations, further threatening the already vulnerable Boer farmers, descendants of Dutch settlers in South Africa.

This group is also a primary target of Julius Malema. The radical left-wing politician blames the Boers for many of the country’s problems and promotes a violent, populist rhetoric against them. Malema was once a militant in the ANC and led its youth wing before being expelled. Following his expulsion, he founded the EFF—a party even more radical and aggressive.

Currently, following the most recent legislative elections, the EFF is the fourth-largest party in the South African National Assembly.

"We will kill white women, children and their pets"

The White House's decision sparked a response from Malema at a rally. "These people—when you want to hit them hard, go for a white man. They feel terrible pain because you touched a white man. We are cutting the throat of whiteness," he declared.

In another recorded statement, an EFF official declared to the audience, "We will kill white women, children, and their pets."

The remarks drew a response from Elon Musk, a South African-born entrepreneur, who called for Malema to be recognized as an international criminal for inciting racial violence.

Musk also criticized President Cyril Ramaphosa for allowing such rhetoric to go unpunished and for permitting the EFF to remain a legal party in South Africa.

International attention turned to Malema in the summer of 2023 when he led thousands of his supporters in singing Kill the Boer—a slogan associated with African-centric emancipation movements that advocate for the eradication of white South Africans.

Currently, white South Africans make up just over 7% of the country’s population, with an even smaller percentage working on small farms in the central regions. Despite their dwindling numbers, they remain a primary target of violence and crime in South Africa.

A month after the controversial rally, attacks on white South African farmers surged nationwide. In August 2023 alone, there were 22 farm attacks, resulting in the deaths of six Boer farmers—double the number recorded in the same month of 2022.

According to data from the AfriForum association, there was a notable spike in violence during August. AfriForum, which represents the interests of Afrikaners and advocates for their active participation in South African society, faces one of its toughest challenges in protecting farmers from attacks and discrimination.

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