Malema ruling 'a warning to politicians'

2011-09-12 16:07

Johannesburg - Monday's hate speech judgment against ANC Youth League president Julius Malema was a warning that politicians were not above the law, the Congress of the People Youth Movement said.

"The ruling is not only a victory for those who felt threatened by Malema's harmful and discriminatory utterances, but a victory for the rule of law...and for the Constitution," said spokesperson Marius Redelinghuys in a statement.

"It is also a wake-up call to political figures who believe they are entitled to trample on the dignity of South African citizens by virtue of office or political affiliation."

It welcomed the finding in the South Gauteng High Court that Malema's singing the "dubhula ibhunu" (shoot the boer) song amounted to hate speech.

Redelinghuys said Malema's racial utterances showed the failure of the ANC to effectively address the social divide in South Africa.

Farmer Union TAU SA said the ANC and its youth should accept the judgment.

"The time has come to stop fighting... and respect cultural groups and [different] races," its president Louis Meintjes said in a statement.

"The judgment... has vindicated TAU in its attempt to erase hate speech from South African society and contribute to put an end to violent victimisation of farmers and farm dwellers."

In light of the ruling, TAU SA called on government to give attention to violent crimes perpetrated on farms and smallholdings.

"It is imperative that the scope of such crimes become visible," said Meintjes.

He asked government to consider the establishment of a dedicated unit to act against such criminals, and maintain a database of farm attacks.

- SAPA