The South Africa Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) revealed it is set to investigate Economic Freedom Fighters Party (EFF) leader Julius Malema over comments he made against Indian South Africans. Many of Malema’s critics say his comments were racist.
At a rally this past weekend, the former ANC youth league leader said Indians were racists towards black South Africans, and their communities in South Africa treated blacks as sub humans, even underpaying them for work done.
“[The] majority of Indians hate Africans. The majority of Indians are racist, and we must never be scared to say that they are racist,” Malema said at a rally on Saturday.
“I’m not saying all Indians, I’m saying the majority of them,” he added.
The EFF and Malema are no strangers to the SAHRC. Malema has come under fire a number of times for his remarks against Indians
Leading journalist Ferial Haffejee said she was concerned about the “EFF’s new campaign against Indians”.
In July 2017, Malema accused Indians of exploiting African workers and monopolizing the KwaZulu-Natal economy. At the party’s fourth anniversary special, he reportedly said: “The Indians who own shops don’t pay our people. They give them food parcels. We want a minimum wage even in Indian shops.” He also accused the KwaZulu-Natal ANC of being captured by “Indian families”.
After his 2017 remarks, the Minority Front consulted with the Human Rights Commission over Malema’s “frivolous utterances”.
In 2011, Malema, then still an ANC Youth League member, met the SA Minority Rights Equality Movement (Samrem) after he used a derogatory racial tag while referring to Indians. He apologised and Samrem withdrew its threat of court action.
