A far-left South African political leader renowned for his anti-West rhetoric implicated U.K. authorities Wednesday of rejecting him a visa to speak at an occasion at Cambridge University for political factors.
Julius Malema, the leader of South Africa’s Economic Liberty Fighters opposition celebration, stated the choice was efficiently a restriction on him dealing with trainees and “an effort to silence a dissenting political point of view.”
He published on social networks platform X that he had actually been guaranteed that his visa was being processed however had actually gotten “a remorse letter” notifying him his application was not effective while he was at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport awaiting his flight to London.
Malema, who likewise utilizes the title “Leader in Chief” of his celebration, has actually formerly required the U.K. pay reparations and say sorry to African countries for manifest destiny. The legislator and his celebration have actually likewise implicated the British monarchy of playing a leading function in the servant trade and colonial abuses.
The BBC reported that it had actually seen a dripped letter to Malema’s EFF celebration from the British high commissioner to South Africa personally asking forgiveness that the U.K. Office wasn’t able to process Malema’s visa in time and stating it was because of procedural problems. The letter from High Commissioner Antony Phillipson pointed out “the regrettable timing” of current British legal holidays, according to the BBC.
The Office didn’t comment.
Malema was because of speak at an Africa-themed occasion at Cambridge University on Saturday, his celebration stated.
The firebrand political leader, who was expelled from South Africa’s then-ruling African National Congress celebration in 2012, has actually likewise taken anti-Western positions just recently on the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas dispute. He has actually voiced assistance for Russia over its intrusion of Ukraine and has actually implicated Western countries of supporting and funding what he calls Israel’s “genocide” versus Palestinians in Gaza.
In October, the U.K. rejected ex-South African legislator Mandla Mandela, the grand son of Nelson Mandela, a visa to take a trip and speak at pro-Palestinian occasions in numerous British cities. Mandla Mandela stated he was notified by the Office that his visa had actually been turned down since of his assistance for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which the U.K. thinks about a terrorist company, and his existence was “not favorable to the general public great.”
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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa