Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
A controversial deputy for the South African opposition, at the center of the line of racial relations in the country, was denied entry to the United Kingdom.
The Interior Ministry said Julius Malema had been considered “not sentenced to the public good” and that he was “not desirable” to grant him entry.
In a letter published by Local Media Outlet News 24, the British government cited its vocal support for Hamas, including a speech that he delivered after the attacks of October 7 in which his own party would arm the group if he was in power.
The United Kingdom said that it had threatened to call the “White Massacre” and “take up arms”, and also quoted this as a reason to reject its visa request.
His party of fighters of Economic Freedom (EFF), which arrived fourth in the legislative elections of South Africa last year, condemned the decision of “cowardice” and declared that it would suffocate the democratic debate.
The EFF declared that the United Kingdom had distorted Malema’s opinions on how the “real frustrations of Africans are excluded [from the economy] At the request of a white minority can lead to social violence and resistance “in South Africa.
Malema and the party would not “exchange” their “revolutionary beliefs in exchange for a visa,” said the eff.
“The United Kingdom and all its allies can keep their visas, and we will keep our Africa and a commitment to support the oppressed of the world, in particular the Palestinian people,” added the party.
Malema appeared in a good place in a video played last month by President Donald Trump during a visit to the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the White House.
In the video, Malema is seen sing “Shoot to Kill” and “Kill the Boer”, which, according to Trump, encourages violence against the ethnic Afrikaner group.
However, the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa ruled that the words do not constitute hate speeches and were a “provocative means” to advance the political agenda of the EFF – which was to end “earthly and economic injustice”.
The court added that “reasonably informed person would understand that when” protest songs are sung, even by politicians, words are not supposed to be literally understood, and the shooting gesture is not understood as an appeal to arms or violence “.
Malema is a fierce criticism of what he considers “Western imperialism” and advocates the nationalization of land belonging to whites in South Africa to approach the heritage of colonialism and the racist system of apartheid.
The rule of the white minority ended in South Africa in 1994, with the rise of Nelson Mandela and its African National Congress (ANC) in power.
This is the second time that Malema has been denied entry to the United Kingdom in just two months.
The first time the British government said that he had submitted his request too late – this time a British official in South Africa told the BBC that it was a “substantive decision”.
The United Kingdom said that he had no rights of appeal and that he was likely to be denied any future request, according to News 24.
A spokesperson for the Home Office told the BBC: “It is our long-standing policy not to comment on individual cases.”
Some of Malema’s criticism in South Africa are likely to welcome the United Kingdom’s decision and hope that it will be more prudent in its public statements in the future.
But his supporters are likely to argue that he is targeted to express opinions that the United Kingdom finds uncomfortable.
Official statistics show that the unemployment rate in South Africa has increased to 33%, blacks being the most affected.
The EFF support base, composed largely of young people, believes that a more radical action is necessary to fight against racial inequalities and injustices.
The party obtained less than 10% of the votes in last year’s elections and fell from third to fourth place after losing its main support against the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (Spear of the Nation) of former president Jacob Zuma.
