Who is Julius Malema - what has Musk said about African leader as old video of him chanting 'Kill White Farmers' goes viral

The Tesla CEO, who was born in South Africa's capital Pretoria, shared the clip on X, saying: "He is chanting 'kill the white farmers' to a cheering stadium." The billionaire called for immediate sanctions to brand him an “international criminal”. He added on X: “Immediate sanctions for Malema and declaration of him as an international criminal!”.

The chant, historically linked to Peter Mokaba, a former African National Congress (ANC) youth leader, is rooted in the anti-apartheid struggle of the 1990s. Mr Mokaba, who died in 2002, argued that it was a metaphor rather than a literal call to violence. In 2022, South Africa's Equality Court ruled that the slogan did not constitute hate speech under the country's legal framework. The video of Malema is two-years-old and was taken at a rally. Julius Malema is the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and has a history of making radical statements.

His party is now South Africa's third-largest and advocates for land nationalisation and wealth redistribution. These policies have gained support among many township residents who feel economically excluded even after apartheid ended. His party secured 11 per cent of the vote in the last national elections.

Mr Malema made the controversial chant during the EFF's 10th anniversary rally in July 2023, where he told supporters, "We are taking government in 2024. The revolution in South Africa is guaranteed."

At the time Musk also condemned the chant saying "They are openly pushing for the genocide of White people in South Africa." In response, Mr Malema defended the chant at a press conference, arguing it was part of South Africa's political history and not an incitement to violence. He also launched an attack on Musk, saying the billionaire "looks like an illiterate" and that "the only thing that protects him is his white skin."