'I was supposed to be in London but white people denied me visa'

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Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) leader Julius Malema has once again expressed his frustration after being denied a visa to visit the UK.

Malema was invited by the African Society of Cambridge to speak at the 11th Annual Cambridge Africa Together Conference, but he was unable to leave OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg because his visa did not arrive in time.

Julius Malema was denied a visa hours before his departure

On Saturday afternoon, he visited Ward 24 in Soweto ahead of the by-elections scheduled for May 14, 2025. Addressing the crowd, the EFF leader mentioned that he was supposed to be in London that weekend, but his visa had been denied.

“I was supposed to be in London to meet up with students, as I was invited to Cambridge University, but white people denied me entry to London. They denied me a visa because I couldn’t be bought. I can’t be bought by imperialism and colonialism. I don’t beat around the bush, I speak the truth whether you like it or not,” Malema said.

Julius Malema says he must be allowed to speak, not banned

“They are cowards because when you disagree with someone, you don’t have to ban them. Apartheid banned our leaders,” said the EFF leader. “Apartheid banned Elias Motsoaledi, they sent him to prison for a very long time because they did not agree with his ideas.

“When you don’t agree with people, you should not ban them because that is a sign of cowardice. You must allow them to speak and then disagree with them.”

On Wednesday, Julius Malema took to social media platform X, revealing that he received a letter, four hours before his departure, informing him he had been denied a visa.

“The British authorities have denied me a visa to London for the Cambridge Conference this weekend, providing no substantial justification.

“It is clear to me that this is an attempt to silence a dissenting political perspective,” he said then.

On Thursday, the British High Commission formally apologised to Julius Malema. The commission said the UK Home Office failed to process his visa application in time.