The British High Commissioner for South Africa has issued an official apology after the UK Home Office failed to process Julius Malema's visa application.
The leader of economic freedom fighters was scheduled to travel to the UK for a scheduled address at the University of Cambridge this weekend at the University of Cambridge.
In response to the Fallout, British High Commissioner Anthony Phillipson apologized in a formal letter, attributed to the failure of the delay caused by “the steps and unfortunate timing necessary to consider visa applications for recent UK bank holidays.”
“I am following the processing of the visa required to Mr. Malema and I am writing to personally apologize,” Philipson said in the letter.
“We recognize this very unfortunate, especially as the delegation was applied in advance and some people were paid for priority services.
“But I fear there is no way to intervene in the decision-making process itself.
“I will take this opportunity to renew my heartfelt apologies to them again for the Home Office's failure to process the application in time,” Philipson said.
Malema, known for her honest opinion, was planning to travel to the UK to speak at the conference.
The IOL previously reported that Malema had been notified several hours before departure that his visa application had been denied. As Malema was preparing to board his flight or his flight at Tambo International Airport, the timing of the decision elicited sharp criticism and raised doubts about the transparency and fairness of the visa process.
The High Commissioner further indicated that the delegation could withdraw the application and “home office will fully refund all application fees, including the Priority Services application.”
In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, Malema expressed his anger, claiming that the denial was politically motivated.
“The UK authorities have refused a visa to London for the Cambridge meeting this weekend and provided no substantial justification,” he said. “It's clear to me that this is an attempt to silence the opposition political perspective.”
Malema further explained that the movement was “unacceptably spineless.” In particular, once the issue is believed to be resolved by 3:30pm that day, they simply receive a “remorse letter” instead.
Malema's absence from the Cambridge Conference is particularly noteworthy given the recent reappearance at the local stage. In November 2024, Botswana lifted a long-standing travel ban on him. He initially imposed in 2011 after he labeled the government as a “puppet government” and threatened to unite the country's opposition parties.
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