ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has stated that the party will not chant the controversial slogan “Kill the Boer,” deeming it irrelevant in today’s political climate. His remarks follow the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of AfriForum’s appeal to classify the phrase as hate speech, upholding a previous Supreme Court of Appeal ruling.
The debate over the struggle song resurfaced after EFF leader Julius Malema faced international criticism for singing it. While the ANC respects the court’s decision, Mbalula emphasized that the party has moved away from the chant, as its historical context no longer applies.
“As the ANC, we’re not chanting ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer’—we don’t believe it’s relevant,” Mbalula said. “We won’t use it, nor will we downplay its meaning. Historically, it was tied to guerrilla fighters returning home, targeting apartheid-era commandos, not modern-day farmers.”
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel, however, argued that the song undermines the dignity of Afrikaners and accused the judiciary of allowing personal biases to influence constitutional interpretation.
The ANC’s stance signals a shift from its liberation-era rhetoric, while the legal and political debate over the chant’s implications continues.
