🚨 JULIUS MALEMA SINGS “KILL THE BOER, KILL THE FARMER” AS HE PAYS AN EMOTIONAL FAREWELL TO HIS LATE FATHER, PAPA ISHE RUFUS POPIES MALEMA, DURING A FUNERAL ATTENDED BY EFF LEADERS AND SUPPORTERS
EFF President Julius Malema delivered an emotional farewell to his late father, Papa Ishe Rufus Popies Malema, during a funeral service attended by family members, senior EFF leaders, supporters and guests from across South Africa. The service was filled with tributes, prayers, speeches and revolutionary songs celebrating the life of the late Papa Malema.
During the proceedings, Malema addressed mourners before joining supporters in singing “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer,” a historic anti-apartheid struggle song that has long been associated with the EFF. The song once again drew public attention because it remains one of South Africa’s most debated political songs.
Supporters of the EFF argue that the song forms part of South Africa’s liberation heritage and should be understood in its historical context rather than as a literal call to violence. Critics, however, continue to argue that it is divisive and inappropriate in modern South Africa, particularly given ongoing concerns about violent crime and attacks in rural communities.
The funeral itself focused on celebrating the life of Papa Ishe Rufus Popies Malema, whom Julius Malema described as a man who shaped his values and remained a source of strength throughout his life. Senior EFF officials and supporters stood in solidarity with the Malema family during the ceremony.
The event comes shortly after South Africa’s Constitutional Court declined to hear a further appeal over earlier court rulings relating to the song, leaving in place previous judgments that found its use in certain political contexts did not amount to hate speech. Despite those rulings, the song continues to generate intense public and political debate whenever it is sung.
Do you think historic liberation struggle songs should continue to be sung at political and public events in South Africa, or is it time for a different approach?