South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, has stated that he was not bothered about being barred from entering the United States.
Malema declared that he will always have access to Africa, his true home, including Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Nigeria.
Speaking at a public event, Malema said Africa remains his true home and that he would rather travel across the continent than worry about being barred from entering America.
“Even if America decides that I should no longer enter America, it’s okay. I will enter Zimbabwe. I will enter Botswana, I will enter Nigeria, I will enter Africa, my home,” he declared.
The firebrand opposition leader suggested that Western nations hold no special attraction for him, saying he finds greater comfort and cultural connection within African states.
“Why should I be concerned about people who are going to feed me burgers and make me fat when I can go to Nigeria and eat jollof rice with goat pepper soup?” he said.
Malema, known for his vocal criticism of Western influence on African politics, argued that the US often disapproves of African nations’ attempts to assert their independence.
“When we do that, you must know we are doing that against America. It will never like that. But are we going to retreat because America doesn’t want us to do that? Never,” he stated.
Recalling a recent visit to Nigeria, “When we were in Nigeria, DSG was there. We were given a nice jollof rice. And what is that good soup? Pepper soup. By the governor of that state, Enugu State.”
Describing the warmth of African hospitality, Malema said, “Ah, la la. I’m a guy who is sweating but will not stop. Sweating but not stopping. That’s how nice Africa is.”
He reiterated his indifference to Western visa threats. “So you want to threaten me that you won’t give me a visa to America or give me a visa to London. I don’t care.”
Malema’s comments come amid escalating diplomatic tensions between the US and South Africa following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to skip the G20 Summit hosted in South Africa.
The Trump administration cited concerns over the alleged mistreatment of white farmers, a claim South Africa has repeatedly rejected as baseless.
South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa refused to transfer the G20 presidency to a U.S. embassy representative after Trump declined to attend the summit, prompting the American president to announce that South Africa would not be welcome at the 2026 G20 Summit in the United States.
The dispute over white farmers has become a flashpoint in U.S.–South Africa relations in recent months. The Trump administration has accused Pretoria of failing to protect white agricultural communities—allegations South Africa has labelled inflammatory and misleading.
The diplomatic rift forced President Cyril Ramaphosa to travel to the White House in May in an attempt to ease tensions. However, the meeting was marked by a public confrontation when Trump challenged Ramaphosa over Malema’s past statements.
“Why didn’t you arrest that man?” Trump asked on live television, referencing a controversial chant Malema once led. Ramaphosa responded that South Africa is a constitutional democracy that guarantees freedom of expression.
Trump also presented photos he alleged were of murdered white farmers in South Africa; the images were later found to have originated from conflict zones in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Despite tightening immigration controls and restricting asylum applications, the Trump administration recently granted asylum to several white South Africans, claiming their lives were in danger. South Africa has condemned the move, reiterating that there is no systemic targeting of any racial group in the country.