This isn’t the first time someone has tried to destroy the monument. In 1970, vandals used a homemade bomb in an attempt to blow the bust of the social theorist and economist whose teachings resulted in tens of millions of deaths worldwide.
Despite this, Marx appears to still have a large following, also in South Africa. Julius Malema, the black leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters who regularly calls for killing white people, was one of the “pilgrims” to visit the site in 2015.
The EFF website noted about the party: “The EFF is a radical, leftist, anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movement …The EFF draws inspiration from the broad Marxist-Leninist tradition …”
EFF Delegation visit Karl Marx’s Grave in London #EFFUKTour pic.twitter.com/VDxpVA9ZPf
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 27, 2015
In 2016, not long after Malema’s visit to Marx’s grave, he spoke outside the Newcastle Magistrates’ Court in KwaZulu-Natal, where he was facing charges of inciting blacks to occupy privately owned land. Malema told his followers: “We are not calling for the slaughter of white people‚ at least for now.”
The EFF leader had repeated this threat in an interview with Turkish television network TRT World. Speaking about white people, Malema said: “I have never called for their killing, at least for now. I can’t guarantee the future.”
The EFF leader does not seem overly worried about explosive allegations made by AfriForum deputy CEO Ernst Roets, stating that Malema met with an imprisoned gang member and offered to help him murder white farmers when he gets out of jail.
When asked about Roets’ allegation, Malema shrugged: “Maybe. Maybe not”, in a move that many on social media took as the leader brazenly taunting those questioning his role.
It was reported in The Citizen at the time that AfriForum wants Malema investigated for the allegations, suggesting that they have hard evidence of Roets’ claim.
According to reporter Simnikiwe Hlatshaneni, who attended the launch of Roets’ new book Kill the Boer: “In a gruesome presentation on the brutality of attacks on farmers in isolated areas, a sound clip that was part of a Carte Blanche investigation last year has a man speaking in Afrikaans saying Malema promised to help him continue killing farmers when he was released from prison. The person is supposedly a member of the brutal prison gang the 28s”.
Last year, Malema stated at a political rally: “Go after a white Man… We are cutting the throat of whiteness.”
The Marxist disciple Malema is not only inspired by white genocide, it seems, but also French luxury designers like Louis Vuitton. In 2014, a twar erupted between Malema and an ANC minister after the EFF leader was seen attending court wearing a Louis Vuitton belt.
At the time, Mbalula tweeted, “Overalls were swapped for Louis Vuitton today… that’s Julius revolution.” Malema loves the luxury brand, according to a salesperson at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront.
“Mr Malema was a regular shopper here. There is no denying that he was often seen wearing Louis Vuitton apparel.”
