EFF leader Julius Malema's visa was denied due to extremist views. Yasmine Jacobs/IOL.
(The Post News)– The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have condemned the United Kingdom’s decision to label party leader Julius Malema an “extremist” as justification for denying him a visa. The party accused the UK of being ‘intolerant bullies that seek to impose their beliefs on the rest of the world without challenge’.
In a statement released on Thursday morning, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemned the visa denial as a cowardly act of political censorship by a country with a long history of imperialism. The party reaffirmed its commitment to anti-imperialist principles and used the moment to express solidarity with oppressed nations, including Palestine and Iran. The statement described Israel as a “maniacal regime” and reiterated the EFF’s support for resistance movements fighting against colonial occupation and systemic oppression.
“We will continue to pursue constitutional and democratic means to ensure that land is expropriated without compensation and that the means of production are controlled by the African majority. We join the world in declaring: From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!”
The visa refusal follows Malema’s planned participation in the 11th Annual Africa Together Conference at Cambridge University in May 2025. At the time, delays in processing his visa were attributed to administrative issues, prompting a formal apology from the UK Home Office. However, on June 17, Malema received formal confirmation that his application had been rejected and that future applications would likely meet the same fate unless he alters his political stance.
The Home Office stated that Malema’s views and associations were “not conducive to the public good”. The decision cited his open support for Hamas, a proscribed organisation under UK anti-terror laws, and his televised remarks in 2023, which described the October 7 attacks as “a legitimate act of resistance”.
The letter also referenced Malema’s previous controversial remarks, including his 2016 comment, “We are not calling for the slaughter of white people—at least for now,” and a 2022 courtroom exchange in which he said, “I can’t guarantee I won’t say it. I am not a prophet.”
Despite the refusal, the party remains unshaken and has made it clear that it views the UK’s move as a desperate attempt to silence revolutionary voices critical of Western imperialism and global inequality. Instead, they reaffirm their stance once more, saying, “The UK and all of its allies can keep their visas; we will keep our Africa and our commitment to support the oppressed of the world, especially the Palestinian people.”
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