Julius Malema Slams Anti-Immigration Marches as 'Clownish' and Government-Sponsored Distractions

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema labeled the anti-immigration marches across South Africa, including downtown Johannesburg, as "clownish" and "stupid."

Speaking during an interview with Sky News Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir on 21 May 2026, Malema, who was roasted for sharing an old looting video, firmly rejected the idea that xenophobia exists in the country, describing the participants instead as a group of charlatans, extortionists, and corrupt individuals trying to extort foreign nationals.

According to Sky News Malema alleged that these marches are sponsored and fully backed by the government to distract South Africans from major issues. He questioned how an ordinary person could publicly manhandle another individual in front of the police, calling it a crime in itself. Malema challenged the narrative that foreign nationals are driving crime, pointing out that the majority of prisoners in South African jails are South African men, not individuals from Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria, or the DRC. He argued that foreign nationals are simply an easy target.

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When asked what a healed South Africa would look like, Malema stated that overcoming the country's trauma will take a generation and that therapy alone is not enough. He called for those who colonized South Africa and sponsored apartheid to pay reparations to the victims, stating this would be a necessary gesture to help reduce the trauma. Malema emphasized that for the next generation, the EFF tries by all means to ensure that children can remain children, go to school, receive proper uniforms, and be fed through child grants when they arrive home.

Ngizwe Mchunu takes a dig at Malema

In another related article, Briefly News reported that Ngizwe Mchunu, who doesn't shy from controversy, stood his ground when he appeared in court for allegations made against Malema. He told the court he had evidence to back his claims up.

Source: Briefly News