South African Opposition Party Slams UK Government for Denying Leader Visa

The EFF says neither its commander-in-chief, Julius Malema, nor the party “will trade its revolutionary beliefs for a visa.”

EFF president Julius Malema, in a red t-shirt, waves the flag of his party while smiling, surrounded by members of his party, also waving flags.

EFF president Julius Malema at the Youth Day Rally at King Zwelithini Stadium on June 16, 2025 in Durban, South Africa.

Photo by Siyabonga Sokhela/Gallo Images via Getty Images

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has accused the UK government of being “an intolerant bully,” after its Home Office denied the political party’s leader, Julius Malema, entry into the UK. The South African opposition party released a statement, read by National spokesperson Thembi Msane, slamming the UK for denying Malema’s visa for politically motivated reasons.

The Home Office denied Malema entry, arguing that his presence in the UK would “not [be] conducive to the public good on grounds of [Malema’s] conduct, character and associations.” In the letter, shared by the EFF on social media, the UK noted Malema’s apparent support for Hamas, citing an address outside the Israeli embassy in Pretoria in late October 2023 where the opposition figure said if his party came into power he would help arm Hamas and “make sure Hamas got the necessary equipment to fight for their freedom.” Hamas is proscribed under the UK’s terrorism act.

The UK also said Malema made “statements calling for the slaughter of white people [in South Africa] or hinted that it could be an acceptable option in the future.” Malema was recently in the middle of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s official visit to U.S. President Donald Trump, where a video of Malema leading “Kill the boer” chants was presented by Trump as proof of a white genocide in South Africa.

In its strongly worded statement, the EFF said the UK is obfuscating Malema’s views relating to the “frustrations of Africans who are excluded at the behest of a white minority.” The party also said the contentious “Kill the boer” chants “cannot be interpreted as a literal call for genocide but an expression of liberation heritage.” It also went on to cite the South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruling that Malema and the EFF chanting “Kill the boer” does not constitute hate speech.

This is the second time Malema has been denied entry into the UK, after he was denied a visa in May for a speaking engagement at Cambridge University. Malema has no right of appeal, and the Home Office has stated he’ll likely be denied any future applications. In response, the EFF said the UK “seeks to impose its beliefs on the world without challenge, while denying democratically elected leaders of other nations the opportunity to express themselves in their countries.”

In the party’s trademark defiant way, the Msane-read statement says Malema and his party will not be changing their ideological approach to the issues raised by the visa application denial. “The EFF wishes to state categorically that neither the commander-in-chief nor the party will trade its revolutionary beliefs for a visa. The UK and all its allies can keep their visas, and we will keep our Africa and our commitment to support the oppressed of the world, especially the Palestinian people.”

Many on social media have expressed solidarity in support of the EFF’s statement, saying Malema is being targeted for his views. However, critics, like the far right, Afrikaner civil group Afriforum, have called the UK’s visa denial a welcome development. “AfriForum is intensifying its international efforts, which calls on all countries with a conscience to take punitive actions against Julius Malema and other extremist politicians for inciting violence against Afrikaners, minorities and farmers,” the group’s spokesperson, Ernst Van Zyl,said.

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