By Akani Nkuna
Civil rights group AfriForum said this week it had handed over its “Malema Dossier” to senior White House officials during a “follow-up liaison,” part of its ongoing campaign against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema.
Earlier this year, AfriForum, Solidarity and the Solidarity Movement approached the US government after President Donald Trump halted funding to South Africa.
At the time, the organisations said they would ask Washington to “exercise pressure” on ANC policies “but not to punish ordinary South Africans.”
AfriForum has also signalled its intention to have Malema declared an international pariah.
“This comprehensive dossier provides the foundation for international consequences, such as targeted sanctions, for EFF leader Julius Malema by documenting his history of incitement to violence, alleged involvement in corruption, and his support for terrorist groups,” AfriForum said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Bringing Malema’s extremism to the attention of the Trump administration is one part of a larger international campaign to ensure Malema faces consequences for his incitement of violence and other transgressions that he is currently getting away with in South Africa.”
Malema has faced several legal and political setbacks in recent years. In August, the Equality Court sitting in the Western Cape High Court, found him guilty of hate speech over remarks made at a 2022 rally, where he referred to the Brackenfell matric dance incident.
The South African Human Rights Commission said there was no evidence of exclusion of black pupils at the event, as Malema claimed, but found elements of hate speech in his speech.
In June, the United Kingdom denied Malema a visa, citing his “extremist” speech and “support for terrorist organisations.” Authorities told him: “Your presence in the UK has been assessed as non-conducive to the public good on the grounds of your conduct, character, and association, which makes it undesirable to grant you entry to the UK.”
During his confrontational meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Oval Office in May, Trump – who has frequently referred inaccurately to “white genocide” in South Africa – played videos of Malema singing “Kill the boer” to a full stadium, and asked Ramaphosa: “Why wouldn’t you arrest that man?”
AfriForum said its latest discussions with US officials follow a recent State Department report highlighting farm murders and the “Kill the Boer” chant, which it said had been frequently used by Malema at rallies.
In August, the Equality Court in Johannesburg ruled that the chant did not amount to hate speech.
AfriForum’s Head of Public Relations, Ernst van Zyl, said the group would continue pressing the international community. He welcomed the Trump administration’s stance that Malema’s speeches were “hateful, dangerous rhetoric and violent”.
“One of its demands to the South African government, in order to normalise relations, has been to condemn the ‘Kill the Boer,’ chant, which the South African government has unfortunately refused to do up until this point. AfriForum will ensure that such pressure grows,” Van Zyl said.
Alongside its campaign against Malema, AfriForum said it would continue to “inform influential international contacts about the threat of expropriation without compensation in South Africa, as well as the scourge of farm attacks and murders. These topics were discussed during AfriForoum’s White House meeting as well.”
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