EFF leader Julius Malema has been praised by his party for “shaking the corridors of imperialism”. File photo.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi

EFF leader Julius Malema has responded to a clip of him singing the controversial “kill the Boer” chant after it was played during President Cyril Ramaphosa's meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday.

Trump played the clip to try to prove claims of white genocide in South Africa, which Ramaphosa's delegation denied, saying that violent crime affects all South Africans, not just white farmers.

Malema took to social media, describing the leaders and their delegation as “a group of older men” who met to “gossip about him”.

He said there's no evidence to prove white genocide, despite him consistently singing the song.

“No significant amount of intelligence evidence has been produced about white genocide,” Malema said. “We will not agree to compromise our political principles on land expropriation without compensation for political expediency.”

His party members and supporters praised their commander in chief for igniting discussions without being present at the White House.

EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo criticised Ramaphosa's delegation for failing to dispel misinformation about certain groups being killed in South Africa.

“The South African delegation was at pains to explain how they have no interest in redressing the unequal patterns of land ownership in South Africa using what is now constitutionally provisioned as nil compensation through the Expropriation Act,” Thambo said.

“The entire delegation failed dismally at countering the false narrative of a white genocide. South Africa, by contrasting the narrative through evidence-based statistics and data around crime in our country that affects all South Africans.

“South Africa has been embarrassed by a delegation that was contradicting itself, that abandoned judicial decisions, and at times was simply grovelling and Iying.”

Ramaphosa's delegation, including minister of agriculture John Steenhuisen, distanced themselves from Malema's comments. Steenhuisen emphasised that the DA joined the GNU to keep the EFF out of power. 

The EFF praised Malema for “shaking the corridors of imperialism” and likened him to great revolutionaries.

“Our commander in chief can be considered in the lines of great revolutionaries, as Donald Trump in his illiterate rants has called for his arrest for daring to call for land expropriation without compensation.

“As a result, the EFF is concerned by this call that something must be done to stop the EFF president from chanting a liberation heritage song.”