The African National Congress has ordered its youth leader to stop inflammatory comments after he was accused of stoking racial tension before the murder of AWB leader Eugene Terre’Blanche, local media said.
Terre’Blanche’s Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging and mainstream opposition parties have linked the killing to sentiment fuelled by Julius Malema and his singing of struggle song Ayesaba Amagwala [The Cowards are Scared].
The ANC has rejected any link between the song and the murder, but President Jacob Zuma has appealed for calm two months before South Africa is due to host the Soccer World Cup.
‘Not allowed to sing the song’
Gwede Mantashe, secretary general of the ANC, told the Beeld newspaper on Tuesday night that he and President Jacob Zuma had met with the ANC Youth League leader at Mahlamba Ndlopfu “where I told Malema to refrain from making inflammatory statements. He is also not allowed to sing the song in its entirety.”
“There will be very clear outcomes regarding Malema after our conversation with him. People will be able to see the result. The ANC and the youth league will restrain him,” Mantashe was quoted as saying. South African radio also carried the story.
Although markets have largely brushed off the political controversy, questions had been raised in South Africa as to why Zuma did not move more swiftly to restrain Malema from comments of particular concern to minorities.
Terre’Blanche, who fought to preserve white rule in the 1990s, was hacked and battered to death on Saturday in what police believe was a dispute over pay with two black farm workers. They were charged with his murder on Tuesday. – Reuters