In a powerful address to the Nigeria Bar Association, Julius Malema, leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), denounced xenophobia as a “sickness” rooted in poverty, inequality, and government failure. He condemned attacks on migrants from Nigeria, Congo, and Zimbabwe, calling them a betrayal of African unity and urging respect for all Africans.
His comments come amid rising tensions driven by groups like Operation Dudula, which recently blocked access to a Johannesburg clinic demanding proof of citizenship. The group has now announced plans to bar foreign children from public schools in late 2025.These anti-immigrant campaigns, which have long targeted Africans, recall the severe 2019 xenophobic violence that required emergency evacuations. Malema’s intervention highlights the critical need for solidarity and the rejection of such violence as a societal disease.
