DA wants EFF to stop singing ‘Dubul’ibhunu’ despite court ruling

Cape Town - Despite the South Gauteng High Court court ruling the Dubul’iBhunu sung by the EFF does not constitute hate speech, the DA is still demanding the EFF immediately stop singing the song.

DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi said while the DA respected the court’s ruling, it believes the “persistent effort of the EFF to defend the indefensible in this case sets an extremely dangerous precedent for our young democracy”.

“There is no place in our democracy today for advocating the killing of any particular persons, and calling for this through song or other means is unacceptable. The DA calls on the EFF and other parties to refrain from making racially inflammatory statements,” Malatsi said.

Malatsi’s comment followed the judgment in the morning which saw videos of EFF supporters sing the song in court.

The videos have been widely circulated on social media.

Lobby group AfriForum was also ordered to pay the costs.

Meanwhile, the EFF said it welcomed the judgment.

“The EFF is pleased that the court recognised that an expert in a case before a court of law, cannot be a hired gun and must not assume the role of an advocate.

“Furthermore, the court effectively recognised that there was no basis or causal link between the singing of Dubulu ‘Ibhunu, and the incitement of harm to a victim of a robbery on a farm, who was a witness of AfriForum.

“This is something the EFF has consistently emphasised, that liberation chants and struggle songs are not instructions to any action and no supporter of the EFF recognised it as that,” the EFF said.

AfriForum approached the court in an attempt to prove the song was hate speech.

The lobby group argued that the song, which can be heard at many EFF rallies, incites violence and fuels farm murders. AfriForum wanted EFF leader Julius Malema and Mbuyiseni Ndlozi to apologise and pay R500 000 damages.

Weekend Argus