The president of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, has renewed calls for a united Africa under one president, one currency, one parliament and a single military command.
Speaking on Sunday at the Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference in Enugu, Malema told thousands of lawyers and dignitaries that African leaders must tear down colonial boundaries and build a continent that speaks with one voice.
“We demand one Africa, we demand a borderless Africa, we demand an Africa with one president, one currency, one military command, with one parliament,” he declared.
Malema argued that a single African currency would be stronger against the dollar, dismissing concerns about the reaction of Western powers. “We don’t care what Donald Trump or any other leader thinks of us. Africans must refuse to be subjects of others,” he said.
‘Africa Is Rich Enough’
The 44-year-old politician rejected the image of Africa as a poor continent, stressing that the land and minerals belong to Africans and should no longer be exploited by outsiders. He insisted the continent has the capacity to industrialise, process its own resources, and create wealth.
“We must make sure that no corner of Africa witnesses Africans killing each other. The land belongs to Africans, and the minerals of Africa must be returned to Africans,” Malema said.
Visa-Free Africa
He called for free movement across African countries, describing visa restrictions as unnecessary barriers between people of the same continent. “Africans should not need visas to visit one another,” Malema argued.
Malema also identified Nigeria and South Africa as central to Africa’s growth, urging both countries to provide leadership for the African Continental Free Trade Area. He praised Nigeria’s support during the anti-apartheid struggle and said both nations can drive industrialisation across the continent.
Warning On Debt And Xenophobia
Malema cautioned governments against reckless borrowing from international lenders such as the IMF and World Bank, describing the loans as “debt traps.” He pressed for tighter regulation of external financing.
On xenophobia, the EFF leader condemned the attacks on Nigerians, Congolese, Zimbabweans and others living in South Africa, calling them a betrayal of African unity. “Xenophobia is a sickness borne of poverty, inequality, and government failure. Africans must love themselves, not kill one another,” he said.
He closed his address by insisting that Africa’s salvation lies within the continent itself: “Our salvation lies here, in Lagos and Johannesburg, in Abuja and Pretoria, in the hands of Africans who refuse to be divided.”
