The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has condemned the British High Commission for what it describes as a deliberate failure to process the visa application of party leader Julius Malema.
The University of Cambridge had scheduled Malema to address students on 10 May 2025.
Claims of Politically Motivated Delay
In a statement issued on Wednesday 7 April, the party said British authorities had confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that they would finalise Malema’s visa.
However, just hours before departure, officials sent him a letter stating they would not process the application in time.
The EFF alleged that the delay amounted to an “administratively orchestrated ban” designed to prevent Malema from participating in the Cambridge Africa Together Conference.
The party said this reflected an effort to suppress dissent and silence voices critical of Western imperialism.
“This is nothing more than a bureaucratic attempt to exclude the EFF from global platforms. Also restrict the Commander in Chief from building international solidarity,” the party said.
EFF Links Visa Denial to Anti-Imperialist Stance
The African Society of Cambridge University invited Malema to speak at its 11th Annual Africa Together Conference under the theme “The Making of Africa’s Future Presidents”.
The EFF said that the visa decision was part of a broader pattern of hostility from the British establishment towards the party’s position on colonialism and international justice.
The statement cited Malema’s outspoken criticism of Britain’s colonial legacy, highlighting the British monarchy’s historical role in the slave trade, and the United Kingdom’s support for Israel.
The party also referenced Malema’s condemnation of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s role in the Iraq War and also reiterated its previous statement following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“In fact, one of the first visits the President of the EFF was going to make was to the grave of Elizabeth Windsor, to confirm that the woman who was at the centre of the pain inflicted on Africa and her people, was indeed departed from this world and that our people can find justice and peace through her departure,” the party continued in its statement.
Commitment to Global Solidarity
Despite the visa denial, the EFF said it would continue to foster international alliances and build global resistance against imperialism and capitalism.
The party expressed gratitude to the Cambridge University students who extended the invitation and acknowledged Malema’s voice as part of the continent’s political discourse.
“We will not be discouraged,” the EFF stated. “We will continue to engage with those who support Africa’s call for self-determination.”
Was the UK’s visa denial of Julius Malema political or procedural?
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