The United Kingdom has denied controversial South African opposition politician, Julius Malema a visa to the country. On Wednesday, Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) bemoaned that the UK had no valid reason, stating that the denial is an attempt to silence his revolutionary spirit.
According to the BBC, a leaked letter from the UK High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson to the party revealed that the Home Office couldn’t process Malema’s visa application in time for the trip. As revealed, the politician is set to attend a conference at the University of Cambridge as a guest speaker on May 10, 2025.
The African Society of the university, invited Malema to speak at its Africa Together Conference. Meanwhile, Malema is famous within and outside South Africa for his strong criticism of Western imperialism.
In recent times, the politician has called for the nationalization of lands and properties belonging to whites in South Africa. Responding to his visa denial, Malema through a post on X narrated how the EFF delegation received assurances that their travel documents will get approval.
In a shocking twist, Malema said the delegation got a letter of regret a few hours before the journey. He went on to regard the development as “unacceptable and spineless.”
UK High Commissioner reveals Malema couldn’t get a visa approval due to the May 5 holiday
More so, Phillipson has confirmed that the leaked letter is authentic, narrating how he intended to personally apologize for the visa decline. He explained that the Home Office couldn’t process the visa due to some necessary procedures the application failed to go through as a result of the recent UK bank holidays.
Recall that the UK has a public holiday on May 5 to celebrate workers’ rights and social justice. Consequently, the high commissioner stated the holiday affected the approval of the visa ahead of the journey. Phillipson said he picked personal interest in the issue over the past few weeks.
He disclosed that the denial was quite disappointing considering how the delegation had applied in advance and paid for some key services. Phillipson confirmed that the Home Office has agreed to refund the application fee.
