AfriForum Praises UK for Denying Julius Malema a Visa, Kallie Kriel Says This Is Only the Beginning

AfriForum Praises UK for Denying Julius Malema a Visa, Kallie Kriel Says This Is Only the Beginning

  • AfriForum celebrated the news that Julius Malema was denied a visa by the United Kingdom before his flight
  • The leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) was due to speak at the Cambridge Conference but was denied a visa
  • AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said that this was only the beginning and called for more global action against Malema
Kallie Kriel welcomed the decision by the UK to deny Julius Malema a visa
AfriForum's Kallie Kriel welcomed the decision by the UK to deny Julius Malema a visa. Image: Per-Anders Pettersson/ @Powerfm987
Source: Getty Images

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – The decision by the United Kingdom (UK) to deny Julius Malema a visa has been welcomed by AfriForum.

The lobby group, who has often criticised the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), applauded the UK’s decision, saying it was only the beginning. The group weren't the only ones to celebrate the news, as former Olympic swimmer Roland Schoeman also weighed in on the incident.

AfriForum has previously called on the international community to impose sanctions upon the Commander-in-Chief (CiC) of the Red Berets.

AfriForum’s Kallie Kriel applauds the UK’s decision

Following the news that Malema was denied a visa by the UK, AfriForum’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kallie Kriel, took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the news.

Malema was scheduled to speak at the Cambridge Conference but was denied a visa by British authorities, just hours before his flight from OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday, 7 May. The British High Commissioner in South Africa, Antony Phillipson, has issued an apology to Julius Malema for the issue.

In his post on X, Kriel said it was great news, adding that it was only the beginning. He added that AfriForum was intensifying its international campaign and was calling for global action against Malema.

You can view the whole post below.

Kriel claimed that Malema’s denial was linked to his singing of the controversial “Kill the Boer” chant. AfriForum has long called for the song to be classified as hate speech.

The chant has also been criticised by US President Donald Trump, drawing further praise from AfriForum. It’s not just Malema that AfriForum has spoken out about recently; the group has also expressed unhappiness with the government.

AfriForum’s previous criticisms of the SA government

AfriForum and ANC meet to iron out issues

Briefly News reported that delegates from AfriForum and the African National Congress recently met to discuss recent tensions.

The ANC released a statement about the meeting, describing it as being robust and frank.

The two sides have been at loggerheads since AfriForum approached Donald Trump about South Africa

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Byron Pillay avatar

Byron Pillay (Current Affairs Editor) Byron Pillay is a Current Affairs Editor at Briefly News. He received a Diploma in Journalism from the Caxton Cadet School. He spent 15 years covering politics, crime and current affairs. He was also the Head of Department for Sports Brief, where he covered both local and international sporting news. Email: byron.pillay@briefly.co.za