Julius Malema's South Africa's partheid railed against Western imperialism project it on Israel in reference SA apartheid history.

It was a striking yet somehow vaguely familiar scene. Julius Malema, the self-styled “Commander-in-Chief” of the Economic Freedom Fighters, a radical offshoot of the ruling African National Congress, addressed a crowd of 90 000 cheering ‘redshirts’ at a party rally at a stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday 29 July 2023. The event was being held to celebrate the tenth of anniversary of the founding of the EFF in 2013.

In his speech Malema railed against Western imperialism and denounced South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as a “coward” for failing to guarantee safe passage to Russian President Vladimir Putin should he attend the upcoming BRICS summit. “We are Putin and Putin is us”, Malema told the gathering, “and we will never support imperialism against President Putin.” He also once again called for “the land” to be taken from the white minority and returned to the “hands of the rightful owners”. At the end of his speech Malema was raised up into the air on a red platform his arm stretched out towards the crowd.

After a toast to his leadership Malema returned to the microphone for an encore. He now launched into an old liberation movement chant: “Shoot to kill! Hamaza! [get a move on!]; Kill the Boer! Kill the farmer! Kill the Boer! Kill the farmer!” He then imitated the sounds of an AK47 being opened up “Brrr! Pa! Brrr! Pa!”

In South Africa “Boer” has a double meaning. It can refer to white farmer, but it is also a derogatory term black racialists use to refer to Afrikaners in particular, and white South Africans more generally. This was, in other words, a call to racial killing, made in person to an audience of tens-of-thousands of militant activists.

It was a particularly disturbing one if you happen to have at risk-family members – and particularly elderly family members - living in a South Africa. Elon Musk, who was born and raised in the country and has a father and other relatives still living there, reacted to a clip of this moment being circulated on X, by tweeting the following Monday: “They are openly pushing for genocide of white people in South Africa”, asking Ramaphosa “why do you say nothing?”

23 October 2023 EFF leader Julius Malema has vowed to fund Hamas if his party wins the 2024 elections. "Julius Malema's controversial support for Hamas draws criticism and sparks debate amid escalating conflict in Gaza. 

The EFF [Economic Freedom Fighters], when it takes over next year, is going to arm Hamas and make sure Hamas has the necessary equipment to fight for its freedom,” said EFF leader Julius Malema to thousands of supporters picketing outside the Israeli embassy in Tshwane on 23 October.

In the crowd, people held up signs with the Hamas logo. One flag included the words, “We are all Qassam [Hamas’ military wing]. We are all jihad.”

“We’re not only going to arm Hamas, we’re going to remove this [Israeli] embassy because we can’t stay with murderers in the same area,” said Malema, leader of the country’s third biggest political party. “Condemning Hamas is an act of cowardice. I heard fools saying we can’t compare Hamas and Mandela, [but] they are the same. There’s nothing wrong with what Hamas is doing.”

His statements came as the full extent of the atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October are being revealed, including torture while the victims were still alive. This includes cutting off fingers, toes, breasts and feet, gouging out eyes, castration and then putting the organ in the victim’s mouth, burning children alive in front of their parents, burning alive people of all ages, stabbing a baby through the head, raping until pelvises broke, and beheading civilians.

On 21 November 2023, South Africa’s parliament passes a resolution that urges the government to shutter the embassy of Israel, which the resolution calls an “apartheid state.”

A majority of 248 members of the National Assembly vote in favor of the non-binding resolution titled “Closure of the Israel Embassy in South Africa and suspension of all diplomatic relations with Israel” by lawmaker Julius Malema of the EFF opposition party.

The ruling African National Congress voted in favor of the resolution. But 91 lawmakers from opposition parties voted against it.