Singing the words "awudubula ibhuna" (shoot the boer) and dubula amabhuna baya rapyha" (shoot the boers, they rape) was outlawed a Monday – sparking joy as well as dismay.

Words were powerful weapons that could lead to disastrous actions, and even genocide, Judge Collin Lamont said in ruling that African National Congress (ANC) Youth League president Julius Malema's singing of the song constituted hate speech.

He ruled that the Equality Act, which was used to have the words declared hate speech, did not only seek to prohibit conduct, but sought to open avenues of conciliation.

"Court orders must be strictly enforced and obeyed," he said in the High Court in Johannesburg, sitting as the Equality Court.

Civil rights body AfriForum brought the complaint against Malema, who sang the words at several events last year.

The ANC, which supported Malema in his court fight, said it was appalled by the ruling. AfriForum was "overjoyed".

Malema was not present for the judgment and his spokesperson Floyd Shivambu would not say where he was.

Malema and Shivambu are part of a group of African National Congress Youth League officials who are in disciplinary hearings before the ANC at the moment for bringing the party into disrepute.

After Monday's judgment, someone in the public gallery muttered: "Oh well they might as well ban everything."

Outside court, and in a later statement, the ANCYL said it respected the courts and would study the judgment before making any comment.

During the trial, Malema said he did not sing the song in English.

However, in his ruling Lamont said the words had been translated in the media.

"If someone didn't know the meaning, it could sound like a lullaby," he said, commenting on Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane's rendition of the song.

Accompanied with hand gestures akin to holding a gun and a staccato performance, it was received differently.

He said those who chose to sing the songs had to develop new customs and pursue new ideals.

Less than 30 minutes after Lamont's judgment, a group of people outside the court sang the words with gusto, breaking off to also sing: "We are not scared."

AfriForum lawyer Willie Spies said: "We will first wait for the dust to settle. You can't gauge it 10 minutes after the judgment."

Reaction to the ruling was mixed, with political parties, unions and organisations either applauding or condemning it.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions said it was a "gross insult" to the country's past and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) decried the courts being used as a vehicle to re-write history.

Numsa spokesperson Castro Ngobese said the union reserved the right pursue a political and legal approach in response.

The Social Movement Against Racist Tendencies (Smart) said it would immediately petition Lamont to provide the basis for his findings and would join any parties which intended appealing the case.

"Our legal team is already at work," said Smart's founding leader Panyaza Lesufi.

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder joined AfriForum and other parties in celebrating the ruling.

"The contrast between the (Nelson) Mandela approach after 1994 and the Malema approach the past year, shouted out for an adjustment," said Mulder.

It was also a pity that the ANC had not dealt with matter before it was brought to the courts, he said.

The Christian Democratic Party agreed the ANC should share some of the blame, as the party had gone "full out" to support Malema in the case.

CDP leader Theunis Botha said it was hoped the ANC would "make haste" in removing Malema as president of the ANCYL.

Afrikanerbond secretary Jan Bosman said he trusted that the ruling was the first step in curbing racism.

Racism "in whatever colour and whatever form" had to be rejected.

The Congress of the People Youth Movement viewed the ruling as a warning that politicians were not above the law, while farmers' union TAU-SA said the judgment should be accepted.

"The time has come to stop fighting... and respect cultural groups and [different] races," TAU-SA president Louis Meintjes said.