Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has urged Africans to unite and build one Africa.
He was speaking at the 2025 Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Annual Conference in Enugu, Nigeria, on Sunday.
“We must stand together as the world changes and show the world that Africa is one and Africa is equal to all nations, to China, to Russia, to America,” Malema said. “We are not just a small nation. We are a big nation. We are not a dark continent. How can we be dark when we’ve got diamond that is shining amongst us? We are a shining nation.”
The EFF leader has also argued that Africa’s land was stolen through colonialism and apartheid and must be returned to its rightful owners without compensation.
Malema tells delegates that “To be an African has meant that for generations, we are not worthy of the laws and rights that make us human beings, and for that reason, it was legal to abuse us, to enslave…”.
To be an African has meant that for generations we are not worthy of the laws and rights that make us human beings, and for that reason it was legal to abuse us, to enslave…
He challenges Africans to reject xenophobia and embrace solidarity. “We must prove to the whole world that we are not xenophobic; we love one another. Black people are not loved in Africa and they’re also not loved outside Africa,” he says.
Malema condemns Israel’s actions in Palestine as one of the gravest violations of international law in modern history, citing collective punishment, bombings of hospitals, land grabs, killings of children, and deliberate starvation as crimes under the Rome Statute.
“They argue that Israel’s apartheid and genocide must be recognised globally, just as apartheid South Africa was. South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice marked a significant step, leading to the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. However, the slow pace of international legal proceedings reflects a system shaped by white supremacy, which acts swiftly against leaders from the Global South but hesitates to hold Western powers and their allies accountable,” Malema stresses.
