MALEMA'S PRINCIPLED POSITION ON XENOPHOBIA

Julius Malema, the leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters party (@effsouthafrica), will go down in history for his principled position on xenophobia.

While Western politicians like US President-elect Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have fearmongered to win votes—whether demonising Haitians in the US or Bangladeshis in the UK—Malema has stood up time and time again against xenophobia, knowing it could cost him votes.

In this 2019 video clip from a Soweto-based memorial for Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe (1924-2019), @julius_s_malema (X) called out Black South Africans who have targeted migrants from other African countries over the past two decades. However, he said they have been attacking the wrong people over systemic challenges, such as rising unemployment and high crime levels, in one of the most unequal countries in the world.

In the past, xenophobic rhetoric had been confined, for the most part, to the fringes of the political spectrum. However, in recent years, mainstream politicians have jumped on the bandwagon to secure votes.

The EFF is one of the parties that has consistently and unapologetically rejected xenophobia despite being well aware that such a position could endanger their support.

Video credit: @economicfreedomstruggle (Facebook)