Calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to condemn the singing of struggle song 'Kill the Boer' is growing after the Democratic Alliance (DA) joined the fray alongside AfriForum has consistently opposed its singing and has reiterated its stance.
DA National Spokesperson Willie Aucamp labelled 'Kill the Boer' as inflammatory and said it has no place in South African contemporary society.
"The fact that this song continues to be sung by Julius Malema and other political figures is deeply troubling and unacceptable. The song 'Kill the Boer, kill the farmer' goes beyond mere words. It incites violence, stokes hatred, and deepens divisions within our society.
"We should be working towards unity and healing, and songs like this only serve to deepen the rifts that still exist in our country," said Aucamp.
He went on to say that farmers play an important role in feeding the nation, and seeing their work and lives attacked by such toxic speech is an insult to the ideals of respect and decency that nation should promote.
"This type of divisive language is not just damaging on a local level; it has international repercussions as well. South Africa's reputation on the global stage is at risk when such hatred is openly condoned, making our country more vulnerable to external scrutiny," he added. "We cannot afford to further polarise our society or undermine the international standing we’ve fought so hard to build."
In 2022, the South African Equality Court has ruled against AfriForum for its assertion that the words 'kill the boer – kill the farmer' constituted hate speech.
Last year, AfriForum said it will be discussing the possibility of approaching the Constitutional Court, following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal where the SCA dismissed AfriForum's appeal against the EFF regarding the singing of 'Kill the Boer'.
The SCA ruled that the song was not hate speech.
Despite this, Aucamp asserted that the court's contentious ruling should not be seen as a validation of its acceptability in the larger societal environment. "This song, and the environment it creates, contradicts the principles of nation-building, social cohesion, and mutual respect that South Africa so desperately needs."
Kallie Kriel, the chief executive of AfriForum has recently called the president's silence on the matter a tacit approval of calls for violence against Afrikaners.
"The President is apparently treating AfriForum's latest letter and request to him with contempt. He also treated our previous letters to him with the same contempt. This confirms once again that the President was dishonest when he stated that he wanted to discuss and solve South Africa's problems locally," said Kriel.
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