Keypoints:
- Malema calls for borderless Africa
- Says unity will rival US economy
- Demands minerals stay in Africa
FIREBRAND South African opposition leader Julius Malema has renewed calls for a fully united Africa, telling a major gathering in Nigeria that the continent must adopt a single president, one Parliament, one army, and one currency if it is to secure its rightful place on the global stage.
Malema, who leads the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was speaking on Sunday at the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Enugu. The NBA, the continent’s largest professional body of lawyers, represents more than 120,000 members in Nigeria and abroad, and its yearly conference is a key meeting point for policymakers, judges, academics and international partners.
‘A borderless Africa is stronger’
In a characteristically fiery address, Malema said only continental unity could shield Africa from exploitation and elevate its economic standing.
‘We demand one Africa. We demand a borderless Africa. We demand Africa with one president, with one currency, with one military command, with one Parliament — because we know the currency of Africa will be much stronger against the American currency,’ he declared.
He argued that a fragmented Africa weakens itself, stressing that unification could make the continent more economically powerful than the United States.
Trump swipe in Enugu
The EFF leader also used the occasion to hit back at current US President Donald Trump, who has previously criticised his radical political positions, including his defence of the controversial struggle song Kill the Boer. Trump has claimed the chant incites violence against white farmers in South Africa, an assertion both Malema’s party and the South African government have rejected.
‘We don’t care what Trump thinks of us. He will never choose a policy position for Africans. We must refuse to be subjects of Trump,’ Malema said. ‘We must stand together as the world changes and show the world that Africa is one and equal to all nations — to China, to Russia, to America.’
‘We are a shining nation’
Malema dismissed outdated depictions of Africa as ‘the dark continent’, insisting instead that its natural wealth symbolised its brilliance.
‘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 a diamond that is shining amongst us? We are a shining nation,’ he told delegates.
Minerals must stay in Africa
The EFF leader further called for African nations to take control of the continent’s mineral wealth and prevent foreign exploitation.
‘We want the minerals of Africa to be returned to the Africans because that’s where they belong. We want to build industries in Africa and process our minerals here. We’ve got the capacity,’ he said.
He warned against divisions that he said foreign powers use to plunder Africa’s resources: ‘We must never allow imperialist forces to divide us in order to take our minerals from us.’
Malema concluded by urging an end to intra-African conflicts, saying: ‘There should be no part of Africa where Africans are killing one another. Africans must always be together against enemy forces who want to exploit our continent.’
