Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema is no fan of what he thinks the national rugby team, the Springboks, represent, as he called for a change in the team’s name, colours and emblem.
The EFF initially congratulated the four-time world champions on their 12-11 victory against New Zealand’s All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup finals in France, calling their win “historic, monumental and inspiring.”
Congratulations to the Springboks for winning the Rugby World Cup! ?
Historic, Monumental and Inspiring! pic.twitter.com/l2kM4FAayg
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) October 28, 2023
However, while addressing the EFF Gauteng Provincial Ground Forces Forum in Johannesburg on Sunday, the political party’s Commander in Chief stated the following:
“We do not have a problem with rugby. We love rugby, but we do not love mabokoboko. Mabokoboko, die bokke, Springbok, is an apartheid symbol. You can’t say, ‘Remove apartheid symbols,’ and maintain the name Springbok and the emblem Springbok and the colours that were used during apartheid by white people… You can’t say Rhodes must fall and not say Springboks must not fall.”
The outspoken leader continued, “The Springboks must fall. That national team, we will get it a new name and the new colours and the new emblem which will represent our democracy. Why are we being forced to salute the emblem that was saluted by [DF] Malan, to salute the emblem that was saluted by [PW] Botha, by [Hendrick] Verwoerd, by [FW] De Klerk, by murderers who were killing our people wearing the same jersey in celebration of butchering of black people? That emblem and that jersey represents white supremacists that we don’t support.”
♦️Must Watch♦️
CIC @Julius_S_Malema addressing the EFF Gauteng Provincial Ground Forces Forum.
– MABOKOBOKO is an Afrikaner pride, it’s an Afrikaner property – that is why the President of the Afrikaners, Johann Rupert, received amaBokoboko. #RegisterToVoteEFF pic.twitter.com/BFjZq7KS2b
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 5, 2023
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