‘Kill the Boer’ not harmless words: Youth don’t understand the history

Words have meaning… and therefore consequences. I mention this in the light if the EFF’s anniversary celebrations last week, where leader Julius Malema again sang “Kill the boer, kill the farmer”.

Subsequently, I have seen a video floating around on social media of young, rural children enthusiastically also singing the song.

Most people appreciate that this is a freedom song that’s chanted innocently as part of a sort of Struggle nostalgia. It’s the other people who I am worried about.

But before I explain myself, let me first wonder out loud why a gathering of mostly “born-frees” are singing songs that were popularised by a struggle none of them could have been part of.

Since there can’t possibly be any nostalgic attachment, I’m left with the conclusion that it’s being done solely to antagonise those who find it objectionable.

And while I don’t have a fundamental issue with young people deliberately annoying their rivals, or the older generation with the song, the reality of our volatile political landscape requires a more pragmatic approach.

Be that as it may, let me unpack my thinking around the weight of words, which have been part of the toolkit of populist leaders for time immemorial.

These are people who are able to whip up a crowd of supporters into an emotional frenzy with their choice of words.

Their words become even more powerful when addressing a young, impressionable and disenfranchised audience. Add anger, hunger, unemployment, crime and poor education into the mix and the problem becomes bigger than any of us can imagine.

It is an explosive concoction and has had enough examples in our distant and recent history. For example, Donald Trump is prosecuted at the moment for trying to overthrow the last American election, using his words.

Many of those who stormed America’s Capitol have said they did it because Trump told them to, even though he didn’t directly order their actions in so many words.

And this was a supposed intelligent bunch of “first world” citizens. So what can be achieved with a poorly educated, “third world” horde?

If you still doubt that supporters can be talked into action by the leaders they all but worship, then consider the fact that deranged fans have done a lot more harm with a lot less motivation.

Remember how something as seemingly innocent as a book – Catcher in the Rye – led to several assassinations, including John Lennon’s.

Repeated fiery rhetoric from charismatic leaders have caused genocides in places like Rwanda, Cambodia, Europe, Sudan, India, and most recently Myanmar.

The point I am making is that all these incidents were caused by words. Because words have meaning, and have consequences.

And some of the world’s most charismatic leaders practice their oratory skills with the expressed purpose of manipulating their supporters into action.

And even if they don’t do it deliberately, they should know enough political history to appreciate the impact their words can have. They can’t claim ignorance or innocence when supporters act on their words.

I’m not saying as a leader they shouldn’t lobby their supporters, but they do need to choose their words carefully. Some youngsters don’t understand hyperbole and will take words literally, as an instruction.

It’s this that the likes of Elon Musk is expressing concern about, albeit poorly in his case. Would Malema accept or ignore a song sung with different lyrics – “kill the politician, kill the political party leader?” I suspect not.

But considering the fact that almost all our problems these days are caused by inept, absent or corrupt political leadership, not farmers, wouldn’t lyrics like this make more sense?

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• Elon Musk’s Kill the Boer lesson