Trump calls for Malema’s arrest
On May 21, during a meeting in the White House with President Cyril Ramaphosa, U.S. President Donald Trump called for the arrest of Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), over his use of the “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer” chant.
Trump played a video montage of Malema singing the song, claiming it incited violence against white farmers and falsely suggesting Malema was a government official.
He questioned why Ramaphosa hadn’t arrested Malema, citing concerns about unfounded “white genocide” and land expropriation in South Africa.
Ramaphosa clarified that the chant, rooted in the anti-apartheid struggle, does not reflect government policy and that South Africa’s Constitution protects freedom of expression.
He emphasized that crime, including farm murders, affects all South Africans, not just white farmers.
Malema, an opposition politician, responded on X, dismissing the meeting as “older men gossiping” about him and rejecting claims of white genocide as lacking evidence.
He reaffirmed his stance on land expropriation without compensation. South African courts, including the Supreme Court of Appeal in May 2024, have ruled the chant is not hate speech when considered in its historical context.