Fear, anger at Malema song

2010-03-12 12:39

Hlengiwe Mnguni

Cape Town - The country's youth organisations have joined the AfriForum's youth in condemning the singing of an old struggle song about "killing boers" by ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema.

The AfriForum Youth offices have been inundated with calls and e-mails from "frightened" and "angry" people since Malema was reported to have sung the song on different occasions recently.

"Many people are scared," AfrForum Youth national chairperson Ernst Roets told News24.

"One call we received yesterday, for example, was from a young lady who was crying. She said her parents, who were farmers, had been murdered recently and that she was next.

"Other people want to take matters into their own hands but we have been trying to calm them down," said Roets.

'Sensational'

The civil rights group youth leader said by taking Malema to court they were trying to prevent the song from being sung and also demonstrate how serious the matter was.

But ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said it was not a "major issue" and that the AfriForum youth were being "stupid" and "sensational".

"Songs are sung in SA. The President (Jacob Zuma) sings about a machine gun. Have you ever seen anyone bring him a machine gun?"

He said they would find "a platform to educate" the AfriForum as their misinterpretation of the song was "sad".

Congress of the People youth spokesperson Sipho Nghona said it was unfortunate that Malema, who is notorious for his racial outbursts, would sing such as song when most South Africans were trying to move forward constructively.

"It demoralises them (white people). All their positive contributions and efforts go unnoticed.

Spirit of reconciliation

"It makes the situation hopeless. Back in the 90s there was a spirit of reconciliation and now, and this is from observation, people are starting to ask questions," said Nghona.

He said Malema's utterances, apart from giving the country a bad image, also encouraged a culture of violence amongst young South Africans, citing the rioting by school children outside the Protea Magistrate's Court where the case of hip-hop artist Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye was being heard as an example.

"Those children were threatening to kill him (Maarohanye) themselves if the court did not make a decision that they wanted," he said. 

DA Youth's Khume Ramulifho encouraged young people not to follow the ANCYL's example.

"Let's rally around the idea of equal opportunity, do our best in our communities and work towards building one nation," he said.

 It was characteristic of Malema to sing the "divisive" song, Ramulifho said, but added that he should be ignored.