South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said he would continue to stand with Zimbabweans in his country even if it meant losing votes and leadership of the party.
In an address he made on Tuesday Malema said he and his party were prepared to stand with all Africans in South Africa who left their countries due to economic hardship.
He said he was determined to do this even if it means he would lose support from some South Africans who really think that foreigners are sabotaging their economy.
Someone said to me, if you want us to vote for you in 2024, you must abandon this thing of foreigners. Ahh I’m prepared to go home. I will never take a platform and denounce Africans. I will never do it. If it means votes are going to let them go.
“But to take a platform and please white minority by pointing a finger at my other fellow black brothers, I’m not going to do that. When I see a Nigerian or a Zimbabwean or a Congolese or Ghanaian, I see myself,” he said.
Malema’s sentiments come at a time when thousands of holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) are living in uncertainty because the South African government has not yet indicated whether it will renew their permits which are set to expire on 31 December 2021.
Some South African banks have already warned Zimbabweans to renew their permits or face closure of their accounts in December.
These permits were first issued in 2010 under the Dispensation of Zimbabweans Project (ZDP) and the programme was renewed in 2014 as the Zimbabwe Special Permit (ZSP), before the ZEP was introduced in 2017.
But Malema boldly said he would not allow any policy that sends Zimbabweans and other foreigners in South Africa back home.
“EFF can commission internal research to see to what extent this thing is hurting the EFF. But I’m not prepared to take a platform and say foreigners must go home. I would rather not be the president of South Africa.
“I will be the president of my children. To say I must go and tell these hungry Zimbabweans to leave here and when I tell them to leave I send them to where?” Malema said.
Meanwhile, some South Africans want Zimbabweans to go back home and fight to improve their economy at home. But Zimbabweans are also fighting to remain in South Africa. Nehanda Radio
He said foreigners in general, not specifically Zimbabweans, give us proper reports if you want to gain trust from readers and followers please
Fungai Pangeti Zimbabweans are only foreigners in Africa
Fungai Pangeti precisely so he didnt say zimbabweans but foreign African nationals he will stand with them
Conias Ngondo he was talking about foreigners but he specifically mentioned Zimbabweans.
Admit Ngara he mentioned Nigeria, Ghana, Congo and Zimbabwe
Fungai Pangeti and he said that ‘I will never allow Zimbabweans to be sent back and die of hunger.
Admit Ngara ooh okay i might have missed that part or not hear the clip yet he is championing for all Africans to be safe in Africa – he is a Pan Africanist
Conias Ngondo that’s very true but hardly mentioned Zimbabweans
Admit Ngara we must just be glad there is someone who talk on our behalf not Gayton Mckenzie that one of Patriotic Alliance and Mashaba of ActionSA though hiding when questioned by journalists on their stance to foreignals they then say we mean illegal immigrants kkk the matter remains that they dnt like us here
malema he is a men enough…he is the right baba to vote for..
to be honest being an illegal immigrant is nothing to.be proud ma zim ave vanhu vakashoreka but japana choice…if only our country could improve but er!
Anashe Mlambo as long as Zanu is in power Zim situation will only get messier, sad truth
✊✊viva cde viva becoz he know zimbabwe iz it it now bcoz him and hiz partner who took everthing including citizens of zimbabwes freedom
I wish Malema was Zimbabwean
Chloe Razemba then who was going to fyt for u
Trix Moyo Him kkkk
Chloe Razemba kkkkk if he was a Zim he cld be singing for his meal like ana Mugwadi
Chloe Razemba umm , une hustinye so that he will suffer like us
Marc Giggs not even hey, so that we could have opposition that actually leads and isn’t all talk. He stands by his word. Pauri ipapo Ungati tine opposition muZimbabwe?
Trix Moyo Julius doesn’t strike me like one of those for some reason. There’s something very principled about Malema. I can’t put my finger on it but you can tell he doesn’t change his mind about his position once he has decided. I respect that! In Zimbabwe we have too many unprincipled people leading our opposition. Hakuna order kwavari vese except a few (The Noah Manyikas and the Nkhosana Moyos). The rest… 🤑
Chloe Razemba ipapa you’re right , but the problem with Zim opposition is it’s supporter’s .The opposition is crippled because of lack of funding , 2million voters failing to raise 130k for a vehicle , come elections they campaigns will not be funded
Marc Giggs ndiko kushaya order kwandiri kutaura ikoko. When leadership is focused you can do it. Our opposition leaders are also too greedy for power and are busy tearing each other apart, how can they possibly lead supporters to do something meaningful? They need to get their act right. The recent SA Elections Malema’s party didn’t do badly at all. FOCUS 🎯. And by the way opposition parties in Zim receive funding at every election you know that right?
Chloe Razemba 🤣then he was going to be a hard core Zanu pf sana Tafadzwa Mugwadi
Ubuntu 👌
In Satafrika, some politicians are against illegal foreigners,not Zimbabweans.
Samzen Moteru Marobela sometimes leadership in sata frika must not be friends with people who oppress us.Rolling out red carpets when they visit.
Philani Dube yeah, we need to be like Botswana. Only legal foreigners must be allowed
Samzen Moteru MarobelaSamzen Moteru Marobela yah true, if we had good leadership in our country we wouldnt be importing billions worth of basics from south africa, locals would be employed in the manufacturing sector , not to mention the fertile land we have, we would produce enough to stay off hostile environments.
What about Mgwangwagwa? Greedy and selfish
He said African, Africans including Nigerian and Congolese stop exaggerating
Zii Wire did you see his press briefing,its good to argue with full facts
Charles Muchena I saw Man and understood
Zii Wire ok
He means humble people’s,not criminals and scammers
En it wont change the sitution u put us as zimbabweans
Lancelot Freeman Musekiwa who put you
Jakata P Tsokota malema en fellows
Lancelot Freeman Musekiwa ayiteyi chakaipa,udza ZANU izvozvo
They were send to check crisis in zim 2008 him en mbeki bt they come en reply they iz no crisis in zim so must play gd samaritan now he know wat they did
What situation.Masataure nyaya dzamunenge manzwa nevamwe moita semaivapo.
The greatest states man of our generation through out the continent. I salute you.
Salute you general✊
Yet mapolitician ekuzim atoda mavotes ndiwo arikutopusha agenda yekuti mazimba atambiswe toyi toyi kujoni kuti vadzokere kumusha vanovhoterwa awu
But hazvireve kuti Ana mnangarwa varambe vachibira nyika vachizvipfumisa nehama dzavo,
Let’s vote for him all those zimbwes who have SA IDs
mozoyitiza nyika yacho adzinga kuvarungu sezvamayita
Vaudze zvako akatonga nyika inoita marara Anashe Mlambo
Vaberek vemuzimbabwe tendai murume uyu ummmmm
A true son of the soil
Strong words from general,we salute you
He is a True African,a Real Leader.If he can be given chance to rule South Africa ,Africa will change… https://t.co/1mKHdnQ5Rx
That man if he was a Zimbabwean dayi tichirarama zvinenzira
He is making a political blunder. There is no political benefit in supporting immigrants.
He will be fired by EFF..
Politics is just a game dear.Iye anotarisa zvisiri kutariswa neopposition yake to draw their attention.Otherwise anenge achirasisa vavengi.
Elsy Machingura . Politics is about numbers. Mashaba and ActionSA are picking up huge support on this immigration issue, whilst EFF has stopped growing…
He is being stubborn, Julius Malema. The best option was to shut his mouth up
Elsy Machingura . To survive and grow in politics, you must be able to sense the mood of the electorate. The issue is not that South Africans are GENERALLY xenophobic. The issue is that they are fed up with uncontrolled immigration, and understandably so.
Malema was supposed to rebrand his Immigration message so that it reasonated with the general masses. You do that by carefully wording your message ie. Tact. He lacks tact on his messages and comes across as stubborn…
It will cost him a lot
But this immigration thing is not only happening in SA only.It’s all over the world eg Mexico and USA it’s everywhere vanhu vanoenda kwavari kufunga kuti ndokune huchi nemukaka nguva yacho iyoyo.Zvaiitika wani in Zim nemaMozambiquians.Hapana anombozvigona zvemaimmigrants.
Ubuntu
He said foreigners not just Zimbabwean yu pipo