Julius Malema, leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has expressed outrage after being denied a visa to travel to the United Kingdom for a conference at the University of Cambridge this weekend.
Malema was set to address the Cambridge Africa Together Conference, an event known for promoting diverse and critical perspectives on global affairs, on Saturday, 10 May.
However, he received a visa denial letter from British authorities just hours before his scheduled departure from OR Tambo International Airport.
In a post shared on his personal X social media page, Malema described the decision as unjustified and politically motivated.
“It is clear to me that this is an attempt to silence a dissenting political perspective,” he said.
He added that the denial came despite earlier assurances that the matter would be resolved by 15:30 that same day.
The timing of the decision has raised questions about the transparency of the visa process, with Malema characterising it as “unacceptable and spineless.”
His party, the EFF, further accused the UK High Commission of deliberately delaying the visa to block his participation in the event.
The UK High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson, apologised in a letter to the EFF, explaining that recent UK public holidays and procedural delays had prevented timely processing of the visa.
The UK Home Office has declined to comment on the specific case, in line with its policy on individual applications.
Malema’s absence from the Cambridge conference has drawn attention, given his outspoken stance on Western influence in Africa and his role in shaping South African political discourse.
This is not the first time Malema has faced travel restrictions.
A travel ban imposed by Botswana in 2011 was only lifted in November 2024, following a change in leadership in that country.
The ban stemmed from controversial remarks Malema made about the Botswana government under then-President Ian Khama.
Anything sinister on the part of the UK Home Office – or just one of those things unforeseen delays?
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