The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says the African National Congress (ANC) Veterans League’s newly elected President Snuki Zikalala is being personal when he says the coalition arrangements between the two parties are not in line with resolutions taken at their conference. Malema said this during a media briefing in Johannesburg where the red berets were closing their 10th birthday celebrations today.

ANC-EFF COALITIONS

The EFF co-governs with the ANC in two of Gauteng’s metros, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni and several other municipalities. Malema said his feud with Zikalala dates back to when he was the president of the ANC Youth League. "Since we removed Snuki Zikalala he has never gotten anything serious until he resurfaced now in the Veterans League, what, what, (President). So he has never forgiven us, every time Snuki speaks he has that trauma we caused him," he said. He said they removed Zikalala as the SABC head of news. Malema said it would not make sense for the ANC to work with the DA. "We can work with opposition parties, Helen Zille’s approach in this matter is to push the EFF where it doesn’t want to go. Our first preference was explained in 2016 (local government elections) but in 2021 we were pushed into the ANC side. We want a grand opposition going together to replace the ANC government," he said.

ON THE KILL THE BOER CHANT

Malema said more than 107 000 people attended their birthday celebration at FNB Stadium in Nasrec on Saturday. On Saturday during the EFF’s 10-year anniversary, Malema chanted the song "Kill the Boer,". On Monday, the DA said it would report Malema and the ANC to the UN Human Rights Council. DA leader John Steenhuisen said that the party would be opening a case against Malema for inciting violence and civil war. Meanwhile, Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald opened a criminal case against Malema on yesterday with Twitter owner Elom Musk tweeting,"They are openly pushing for the genocide of white people in South Africa. @CyrilRamaphosa, why do you say nothing?" Malema responded: "Obolela mas*pa," meaning he’s talking rubbish

DEFENDING THE SONG

Addressing the "kill the Boer, kill the farmer" song, Malema said he will sing it as and when he feels like it. �"If you have a problem with it, go to the records of the court. I won in court. The court said there was nothing wrong with singing the song. Those who have appealed it, must go and fight it in court. An independent court made a declaration on the matter and it’s closed. This is outrage was sponsored by Helen Zille. So I’m not going to overexplain myself. It’s not my song, it’s a struggle song,” he said. The chant "Kill the Boer, kill the farmer" was popularised in the 1990s by Peter Mokaba, a former youth leader of the African National Congress and Malema’s mentor. Mokaba, who died in 2002, argued that the call shouldn’t be literally interpreted, but was a metaphor for taking a stand against apartheid. In August 2022, the Equality Court in Johannesburg ruled on the use and said singing of the struggle song did not constitute to hate speech or incite violence after AfriForum took the matter to court.