Linguist expert, Dr. Karlien van den Berg, testified on Monday at the Equality Court that Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), had made statements amounting to hate speech.
The case revolves around Malema’s remarks during an EFF conference in Cape Town in October 2022, where he stated, “You must never be afraid to kill, a revolution requires killing at some point because killing is part of the revolutionary act.”
Despite being instructed by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to retract his statement and apologize, Malema failed to do so. AfriForum had previously lodged a complaint with the SAHRC in response to Malema’s remarks.
Dr. van den Berg, a linguist expert at the University of the North West, stated during her testimony that it was unlikely that Malema’s words could be interpreted in any other way.
She further explained, “The utterances, therefore, display various characteristics of hate speech but very specifically incitement to violence and propagation of hate based on race and gender.
“Consequently, it is my expert opinion that the average reasonable listener would interpret the utterances in question as a deliberate incitement to violence and propagation of hate.”
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Malema’s legal representative is scheduled to cross-examine Dr. van den Berg, allowing for further exploration and clarification of her expert opinion.
The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the interpretation and consequences of hate speech in South Africa. It serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible and respectful language, particularly from public figures who hold influence over others.
Overall, this testimony highlights the need for society to address hate speech and its potential to incite violence and propagate discrimination.
