The Democratic Alliance (DA) will report Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader‚ Julius Malema’s “unconstitutional and deeply hateful comments” to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for investigation‚ the party said on Tuesday afternoon.

Addressing a crowd in Newcastle on Monday after appearing in court for contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act‚ Malema said: “They found peaceful Africans here. They killed them! They slaughtered them‚ like animals! We are not calling for the slaughter of white people‚ at least for now“.

But‚ said DA MP and national spokesperson Phumzile van Damme‚“These comments violate the most fundamental principles of our hard-won constitutional democracy“.

“Indeed the South Africa which Nelson Mandela dreamed of in 1994 is founded on the values of freedom‚ equality‚ dignity‚ as well as non-racism and non-sexism.

“These are the same values which the DA cherishes and upholds‚ and will fight against whenever infringed upon.”

Van Damme said it had been more than 24 hours since “these divisive‚ hate-filled and extremely dangerous comments were made‚” and that despite being given the opportunity to apologise and retract‚ Malema has opted to remain silent.

“It is now time for the SAHRC to play their part in ensuring there is recourse for this conduct. A clear message must be sent that our constitutional values cannot be undermined and ignored for political mileage‚” Van Damme said.

The DA is not the only party beating a path to the SAHRC’s doors following Maleama’s remarks. Earlier on Tuesday the FW de Klerk Foundation said it would be requesting an urgent meeting with the commission to discuss the action it intends to take to counteract “hate speech” of this nature.

The foundation said Malema’s statements should not be dismissed as the rantings of an infantile political leader.

It said Malema’s statements were a repudiation of the core values on which the Constitution was founded‚ including human dignity‚ the achievement of equality‚ and the advancement of human rights and freedoms and non-racialism.

“It is also a direct contravention of section 16(2) of the Constitution which prohibits ‘propaganda for war; incitement of imminent violence; or advocacy of hatred that is based on race‚ ethnicity‚ gender or religion‚ and that constitutes incitement to cause harm’.”

The foundation said Malema’s statements should not be viewed in the same class as the racist comments generated by private citizens in the social media.

“He is the leader of the third largest party in Parliament and his racist comments reflect the considered policy of his party.

“They hold the threat of racial conflict that would destroy our constitutional democracy and leave South Africa in ruins.”

The foundation said Malema’s assertion that whites‚ with former president FW de Klerk in the lead‚ stole the land of the black majority was not only a serious historical fallacy‚ but also an extremely dangerous idea.

“It is at the least stirring up racial polarisation and tension‚ and at the most creating a dangerous creation of ‘otherness’‚ which in Germany and Rwanda led to large-scale genocide.” — TMG Digital