The United Kingdom (UK) has denied Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema a visa, citing his support for Hamas and past inflammatory statements as the basis for the decision. According to News24, the UK government said that Malema’s presence would not be conducive to the public good.
This is Malema’s second unsuccessful attempt to secure a UK visa. A letter from the UK Visas and Immigration Decision Making Centre, dated 17 June 2025 stated:
“The United Kingdom has refused to grant EFF leader Julius Malema a visa due to his support for Hamas and a statement he made about cutting the throat of whiteness.”
The UK Home Office noted that the decision was based on Malema’s conduct and associations. “His presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good,” said UK authorities, adding that “Malema’s future applications are unlikely to succeed unless he changes his stance.”
But why?
Malema’s public endorsement of Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, was central to the refusal. In a speech outside the Israeli Embassy in London on 23 October 2023, Malema reportedly said that under a future EFF-led government in South Africa, his party would “arm Hamas and make sure Hamas got the necessary equipment to fight for their freedom.”
He also posted on the EFF’s official X (formerly Twitter) account that there was “nothing wrong Hamas did” in relation to the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel. In April 2024, the EFF stated that the “Palestinian people have the fullest right to take up arms against apartheid Israel” and voiced support for the armed struggle of Hamas and Hezbollah.
In October 2024, Malema told media that the Hamas attack on Israel was a “legitimate act of resistance.”
“It was not an act of war. It is a battle for the freedom of the Palestinians,” Malema noted.
Past statements
The UK Home Office also referenced Malema’s previous comments that allegedly incited racial violence. A key concern was a past statement where Malema said his party was “not calling for the slaughter of white people, at least for now.”
In February 2022, Malema appeared before the South African Equality Court over these remarks. Asked by a judge to commit to never repeating them, he responded saying:
“I cannot guarantee the future… I can’t guarantee I can’t or won’t call for the slaughter of white people. But why would I make a pledge to say I definitely won’t call for that? I won’t do it.”
Though Malema has previously claimed that “cutting the throat of whiteness” refers to dismantling systems of white supremacy rather than targeting individuals, UK authorities remained unconvinced.
Decision final!
The UK’s decision is final, the Home Office said in it visa response. “There is no right of appeal or right to administrative review.”
Future applications would require compelling new evidence to be considered.
“Taking the above into account, your presence in the UK has been assessed as non-conducive to the public good on the grounds of your conduct, character and associations, which makes it undesirable to grant you entry to the UK,” concluded the Home Office.
The Home Office now considers Malema’s recent conduct to have crossed the threshold of unacceptable behaviour as defined by British law, despite his previous UK visas.
What is UK’s Policy on extremism
The UK government deems a person’s presence unconducive to the public good if they engage in behaviour considered extremist. This includes expressing views that incite terrorist violence or promote hatred and intolerance.
Extremism, as defined by the UK, is “the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, characterised by behaviour that seeks to negate the rights of others to live equally under the law and free from threat, violence and discrimination.”
