Senior members of the EFF confirmed that party leader Julius Malema and others are not planning to withdraw their visa applications to visit the UK this weekend after a visa was not provided to attend a meeting at Cambridge University.
Malema was invited by the African Cambridge Association to speak at the 11th Cambridge African Africa Conference, but was unable to leave Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg due to the lack of visa arrival in time.
On boarding social media platform X, Malema said she was at the airport when she received the letter four hours before departure and informed her that she had been denied a visa.
“The UK authorities have refused visas to London for the Cambridge meeting this weekend and have not provided substantial justification.
“It's clear to me that this is an attempt to silence the opposition political perspective,” he said.
“This is unacceptable and has no spines.”
Party spokesman Sinawo Thambo has reported on the incident.It is merely an expression of the bureaucratic process used to suppress political opposition and ban the EFF's voice from building global solidarity against Western imperialism. ”
Senior Party leaders said senior party leaders would not withdraw their visa applications; It cites the possibility of future invitations from the African Association's Cambridge Association or other UK entities.
In an interview Thursday, sources said they have no intention of withdrawing their visa application to the UK while the parties still deliberate on the issue.
“We may have other invitations and we will not be blocked by this denial,” the source said.
Another senior source within the party said that its view on the US and its Malema could have played a role in the “follow denial” of his visa application.
In a letter to President Godrich Gardee, Vice President of the UK's South Africa High Commissioner for South Africa, Antony Phillipson said the Home Office had faced delays in processing his visa applications in time for his trip.
Philipson said the UK's Home Office wanted to “personally apologize” for “they were unable to process their applications on time due to the steps required to consider a visa application and the unfortunate timing of recent UK bank holidays.”
He said he agreed to refund the application fee, saying he would “take a personal interest in the matter.”
“We recognize this as a very unfortunate, especially as the delegation was applied in advance and some people were paid for priority services,” the letter read.
The EFF framed the case as part of a broader attempt to silence critical voices against imperialism and capitalism.
Political analyst Sandil Swana said external pressure could have influenced the UK's decision.
“It's not easy to say this is completely innocent. The decline in visas was polite, but it's hard to say it's not intentional,” Swana said.
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