The United Kingdom has refused a visa to Julius Malema, leader of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), citing his “extremist” views and inflammatory rhetoric.
The UK Home Office decision, detailed in a letter to Malema, points to his vocal support for Hamas, a designated terrorist organization in the UK, and past statements perceived as inciting racial violence.
The Home Office referenced Malema’s 2016 remark that the EFF was “not calling for the sl*ughter of white people at least for now,” and his 2022 Equality Court testimony where he declined to rule out future calls for such violence, stating, “I can’t guarantee I won’t say it. I am not a prophet.”
Additionally, his October 2023 comments outside the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria, where he pledged to “arm Hamas” if his party gained power and defended the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel as “legitimate resistance,” were cited as evidence of conduct “not conducive to the public good.”
Under UK immigration rules, individuals can be denied entry for inciting or glorifying terrorist violence or racial hatred.
This marks the second time Malema has faced UK visa restrictions, following a delayed application in May 2025 for a Cambridge University conference, which he claimed was politically motivated.