South African opposition politician Julius Malema has been denied a visa to attend a conference at the University of Cambridge on May 10, 2025, a move he says is an attempt to silence dissenting political voices.
The leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Malema is known for his strong criticisms of Western imperialism and his push for the nationalisation of white-owned land in South Africa.
A leaked letter from UK High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson, addressed to EFF deputy Godrich Gardee, indicated that the UK Home Office had failed to process Malema’s visa application in time due to technical requirements and recent UK Bank Holidays.
Phillipson expressed personal regret, stating, “I recognise that this will be deeply disappointing, especially as the delegation applied in advance and some paid for priority service.”
The EFF alleged that the UK High Commission had actively stalled the approval to prevent Malema from speaking at the University of Cambridge’s Africa Together Conference.
In a statement on X, the party wrote: “ The High Commission deliberately delayed the processing so that our leader could not speak.”
Malema himself responded with frustration, stating, “This is unacceptable and spineless. We were promised that everything would be sorted, yet we received a regret letter just hours before departure.”
