Malema electrifies NBA conference in Enugu, calls for United Africa against neo-colonial exploitation

Feisty South African opposition leader and founder of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, on Sunday captivated participants at the 2025 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Enugu with a fiery call for African unity against external forces he accused of exploiting the continent.

Speaking at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, under the conference theme “Stand Out and Stand Tall,” Malema warned that Africa remained under a new form of colonisation designed to keep it as a mere source of raw materials while true development was stifled.

“We want the land of Africa returned to Africans. We want African minerals restored to the continent because they belong to our people,” Malema declared, drawing thunderous applause from the packed audience of legal minds, policymakers, and dignitaries.

The opposition leader urged African nations to build industries that would process natural resources locally instead of exporting them cheaply and buying back finished products at exorbitant prices.

He tied this to Nigeria’s “Buy Nigeria, Eat Nigeria” policy, noting that Africa had the capacity to industrialise and must resist perpetual resource extraction by imperialist forces.

Malema presented a sweeping vision for continental integration, demanding a borderless Africa with one president, one currency, one military command, and one parliament. A unified currency, he argued, would be stronger than the U.S. dollar.

“We are not subjects of foreign policies. We are not a dark continent. How can we be dark when diamonds shine among us? Our salvation will not come from Washington, London, Brussels, or Beijing. It lies in Africa itself,” he said.

He further called for stronger Nigeria–South Africa ties to transform the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) into a practical framework that benefits citizens. “Together, we can demand fair trade, protect industries, and invest in education, technology, and innovation. Africa is not a begging power but a continent of giants,” he told the gathering.

READ ALSO: Malema warns Africa on debt, urges Nigeria–South Africa industrial alliance

Malema paid glowing tribute to Nigeria’s historic role in ending apartheid, recalling the Mandela Tax contributions of Nigerian workers and students, the Southern African Relief Fund, and Nigeria’s boycotts of international events to pressure the apartheid regime. He described xenophobic attacks in South Africa as “a betrayal of African unity.”

“We can neither forget those who stood by us during difficult times nor forget that when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, one of his earliest visits was to Lagos and Abuja to thank the Nigerian people,” he said, urging both nations to deepen cooperation in mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, technology, and culture.

Painting a picture of economic synergy, he proposed that Nigeria’s oil wealth be combined with South Africa’s mining expertise to create African-owned energy enterprises, while agricultural collaboration and renewable energy partnerships could drive continental self-sufficiency.

Malema also acknowledged the mutual cultural and business exchange between the two nations, citing the presence of South African companies such as MTN and Multichoice in Nigeria, and the growing influence of Nigerian music, films, and literature in South Africa.

In his remarks, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’adu Abubakar, tasked lawyers to ensure law remains a tool for justice, not a commodity for the rich. “Today, justice is becoming purchasable. The poor suffer miscarriages of justice, while the rich commit crimes and freely walk the streets,” he said.