EFF leader Julius Malema says Africa needs to unite as one – with a single president, one Parliament, one currency, one army, and no borders, adding that this kind of unity would make Africa stronger economically, even more powerful than the US.

Malema was addressing delegates on Sunday at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual general conference in Enugu.

The NBA is the largest professional body of lawyers in Africa, representing more than 120,000 members in Nigeria and abroad. 

Its annual general conference is a key gathering of legal practitioners, policymakers, judges, academics and international guests.

“A divided continent stands to lose big,” Malema said. 

“We demand one Africa. We demand a borderless Africa. We demand Africa with one president, with one currency, with one military command, with one Parliament – because we know the currency of Africa will be much stronger against the American currency.”

Malema criticised US President Donald Trump, who has previously opposed his radical political views, including his continued singing of the controversial “Kill the Boer” chant. 

Trump claimed the song incites violence against white farmers in South Africa, a claim the red berets and South African government have strongly denied.

“We don’t care what Trump thinks of us. He will never choose a policy position for Africans. We must refuse to be subjects of Trump,” Malema said. 

“We must stand together as the world changes and show the world that Africa is one and equal to all nations – to China, to Russia, to America.”

He added, “We are not just a small nation. We are a big nation. We are not a dark continent. How can we be dark when we’ve got a diamond that is shining amongst us? We are a shining nation.”

The outspoken leader of the EFF said there should be no part of Africa where Africans are killing one another.

“Africans must always be together against enemy forces who want to exploit our continent,” he said. 

“We are here today to reclaim our land. We want the land of Africa to be returned to Africa because it belongs to the Africans.”

Malema also called for the continent’s mineral wealth to remain in African hands.

“We want the minerals of Africa to be returned to the Africans because that’s where they belong. We want to build industries in Africa and process our minerals here. We’ve got the capacity,” he said.

“We must never allow imperialist forces to divide us in order to take our minerals from us.”

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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