'Kill the Boer' chant is dehumanising and dangerous: Cilliers Brink
Former Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa's stance on the 'Kill the Boer' chant, describing it as 'dehumanising and dangerous'.
The controversy surrounding the song resurfaced after US President Donald Trump called for EFF leader Julius Malema's arrest for chanting the song.
Ramaphosa dismissed Trump's call early this week, citing the Constitutional Court's decision against considering it hate speech.
'When it comes to the issue of arresting anyone for any slogan, that is a sovereign issue. It's not a matter that we need to be instructed by anyone to arrest anyone,' Ramaphosa said. 'We follow the dictates of our constitution because we are a constitutional state, and we are a country where freedom of expression is the bedrock of our constitutional arrangement.'
He said the song is a liberation chant and should not be interpreted as a literal statement of intent.
'The slogan, 'kill the Boer, kill the farmer,' is a liberation chant and slogan. That's not meant to be a message that elicits or calls upon anyone to go and be killed. And that is what our court decided.'
Taking to X, Brink argued that Ramaphosa had a constitutional obligation to promote national unity.
'Condemning the singing of that song as fundamentally un-South African is not a matter of sovereignty, but of statesmanship and basic decency,' Brink said. 'That Ramaphosa has failed to do so says a great deal about him and what he stands for.'
The Constitutional Court dismissed AfriForum's bid to have the song declared hate speech, upholding the equality court's 2022 ruling that the song is protected under freedom of expression.
'It is appalling that our courts have decided to declare the racist death chant as protected speech,' Brink said. 'To be kind to those judges, their estimation is probably that the state is too weak and politically compromised to enforce hate speech laws against the likes of Malema. So they pretend that the singing of 'Kill the Boer' is not an incitement of violence against a group based on race and ethnicity.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
Boxing SA under scrutiny as retired boxers demand missing millions
Aggrieved former South Africa junior flyweight champion Dexter Dlamini slammed Boxing South Africa (BSA) for failing to pay retired boxers their share of the Boxing Benevolent Fund. This comes after Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie disclosed in February that the fund had been looted and millions were missing. Dlamini, from Klippoortjie, said he and many other former boxers have been unable to access the funds, despite being eligible. ALSO READ: Dowerglen High's Luyanda Lesia wins big at boxing tournament 'We, as former boxers, are aggrieved because the money we contributed to the benevolent fund has disappeared,' said Dlamini. 'McKenzie is trying to find out where the money went. We contributed portions of our fight purses to the fund but never benefited from it. Around R11 million was siphoned from BSA.' The fund, established over 40 years ago for professional boxers in South Africa, was designed to support retired pugilists and those facing hardship or injuries. A portion of each boxer's earnings was deducted to contribute to the fund. However, it has been a subject of investigation due to its depletion, allegedly caused by financial mismanagement. McKenzie has ordered an investigation to determine what happened to the funds and vowed to pursue legal action against those responsible. His department has pledged to restore the fund and has donated R1 million toward its revival. ALSO READ: Bare-knuckle boxing comes to Bedfordview on April 5 Though Dlamini is confident the money will be recovered, he slammed the fund's administrators for lacking empathy. 'That money is supposed to go to retired boxers. We deserve our share. BSA should contact all the boxers who contributed, they know who we are and have our details. I saw on social media that Elijah 'Tap Tap' Makhathini received his portion. I want mine too,' he said. Career Dlamini was part of the golden era of boxing in SA from the 1970s to early 2000s, which saw several boxers win world titles and achieve international recognition. The pugilist competed in 24 professional bouts, winning seven — including one by knockout — losing 12 (seven by knockout), and drawing five. He made his debut in April 1976, defeating Shadrack Mogapudi at Uncle Tom's Hall in Soweto. ALSO READ: International boxing legend wows fans at Emperors Dlamini captured his only title in 1978 when he outpointed Elliot Zondi to claim the newly created South African flyweight belt. He retired in 1983. Decline Dlamini was part of the golden era of boxing in South Africa, spanning from the 1970s to the early 2000s — a period that saw several local fighters win world titles and gain international recognition. 'It's a pity our boxing is suffering. We no longer produce good boxers. Ekurhuleni used to have champion boxers in the past. We had the likes of Gerrie Coetzee. 'But now the standard has gone down because administrators aren't giving us a chance to unearth talent. 'Our young people are on drugs because of a lack of variety of sporting opportunities. Give us the know-how, and you will see a revival of the sport,' Dlamini said. We contacted BSA and are awaiting a response. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
eNCA
3 hours ago
- eNCA
SANDF troops withdrawal from DRC hits a snag
BLOEMFONTEIN - SADC will not meet their deadline to withdraw SANDF peacekeepers from the DRC by the end of May. This is due to logistical delays withdrawing all heavy equipment from their base near Goma. The SANDF says just over 30 trucks have transported South African Military equipment from Goma to Tanzania. Other heavy equipment will be transported through the Dar es Salaam port to South Africa. The transportation of Tanzanian, South African and Malawian troops will then begin. The Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, honoured the lives of the 14 soldiers lost recently on UN International Peacekeepers Day. South Africa first provided peacekeepers to the DRC in 1999 under the UN MONUSCO mission. And despite the recent losses in fighting near Goma, the defence force says peacekeeping remains part of their mission.
IOL News
11 hours ago
- IOL News
Elon Musk says he will remain 'friend and advisor' to Donald Trump
Donald Trump shakes hands with Elon Musk after the former gifted him with a "key to the White House" during a news conference on May 30. Image: Allison Robbert / AFP South African-born Billionaire Elon Musk said on Friday that he would remain a "friend and advisor" to Donald Trump, as the US President hosted an Oval Office farewell for the man who led his turbulent cost-cutting drive. "I look forward to continuing to be a friend and advisor to the president," Musk told reporters after Trump handed a golden key as a gift to the departing leader of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk, clad in a black T-shirt and jacket and wearing a baseball cap as he stood next to the seated Trump, said he would keep supporting the team that is "relentlessly pursuing a trillion dollars in waste" in reductions that will "benefit the American taxpayer." He complained about how he has been portrayed, saying: "We became, like, essentially the DOGE bogeyman, where any cut anywhere would be ascribed to DOGE." Musk, the world's richest person, has said he is stepping back from his role at the White House to focus on his companies, which include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X. His formal exit comes after a bombshell report in The New York Times on his alleged drug use. The newspaper said that Musk used so much ketamine during the 2024 campaign that he developed bladder problems and that he was also taking ecstasy and psychoactive mushrooms, and traveled with a pill box last year. Musk was immediately asked about the report. He did not reply directly and instead denounced The New York Times over its previous coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 election before moving to the next question. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ DOGE under Musk's guidance has slashed billions of dollars in government spending, much of it already approved by Congress, including eviscerating the main US agency delivering foreign aid. A Boston University study said that tens of thousands of people have already died because of the freeze in funding, a finding earlier denied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "We're totally committed to making the DOGE cuts permanent and stopping much more of the waste in the months that come," Trump said. He said that Musk "is really not leaving" as DOGE is working on further priorities such as "modernization" of the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service, whose ranks have been slashed. Trump said of Musk: "I have a feeling it's his baby, and I think he's going to be doing a lot of things." Pointing to Musk's Starlink satellite internet service, Trump said: "Frankly, I don't think he gets credit for what it's done, but he's a very good person." AFP
