EFF leader Julius Malema has reiterated his call for collaboration between SA and Nigeria.
As postcolonial societies, he believes solidarity should bring the nations together.
“Both SA and Nigeria know the pain of colonialism. Both have faced internal divisions. Both have endured the pressures of global imperialism that seeks to divide, exploit and control us. Both know that the only path forward is Pan-African solidarity.
“We must reject the illusion that our salvation will come from Washington, London, Brussels, or Beijing. Our salvation lies here, in Lagos and Johannesburg, in Abuja and Pretoria, in the hands of Africans who refuse to be divided,” he said.
Speaking at the AGM of the Nigerian Bar Association, Malema told delegates that working together was a pathway towards ending one-way migration.
The relationship between SA and Nigeria has been adversarial, with the two countries having battled for dominance in multilateral platforms such as the AU. The relationship between the two countries also faced strain during xenophobic attacks.
“If we want to end one-way migration, where Nigerians are forced to leave home in search of opportunity in SA, we must integrate our economies. Young Nigerian engineers should be able to work in Johannesburg, Gaborone, Windhoek, Harare, Cairo and Accra — not as foreigners but as Africans contributing to Africa.
“A South African entrepreneur should be able to set up in Lagos without suspicion but with support, as a partner in a shared future. We must harmonise trade policies, align visa regimes and build continental infrastructure that connects our people.”
He said Nigeria and SA could lead the African Continental Free Trade Area not as a paper agreement but as a living reality that changes the lives of ordinary people.
Malema has been advocating for a borderless Africa, often resulting in criticism. Some within the EFF blamed this policy for playing a role in the party's decline in last year's elections.
Xenophobia is a betrayal of African unity. It is a sickness born of poverty, inequality and government failure, but its victims are our African brothers and sisters
— Julius Malema, EFF leader
“When SA was shackled by apartheid, when our people were murdered, imprisoned, and denied basic humanity, Nigeria rose as a giant for justice, placing SA squarely at the centre of its foreign policy. Former president Gen Murtala Mohammed famously declared that Africa had come of age, that the continent would no longer tolerate interference from outside powers, and this still rings true today.
“Nigeria set up the Southern African Relief Fund, mobilising its citizens to contribute to the liberation struggle, even as it faced its own challenges at home. This initiative raised millions of dollars to support the liberation of SA. Nigerian students sacrificed a portion of their income through the “Mandela tax” which supported an educational training programme for black South Africans, and successive Nigerian governments never stopped in their material and moral support for South Africa’s liberation.”
The EFF leader recalled a history of solidarity between the two countries, referring to the Nigerian government's boycotting of the 1976 Olympic Games, as well as Prof Wole Soyinka, who raised his voice in support of SA when he received the Nobel prize in 1986.
“Nor can we forget that when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, one of his earliest international visits was to Lagos and Abuja, to personally thank the Nigerian people. These gestures are the foundations of a bond sealed in blood and sacrifice.”
Malema said the unity should continue.
“This history must not remain in the past. The bond between SA and Nigeria must be carried forward into the present, not just in political sentiment but in concrete economic collaboration. Both our nations stand as giants of the continent: SA, with its industrial base, mining capacity and advanced financial systems; Nigeria, with its vast population, vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, oil and gas resources and cultural dynamism that has captured the imagination of the world.”
The red berets leader told delegates that the two countries collectively held the keys to Africa's industrialisation and economic independence. According to Malema, the way forward is for the two nations to industrialise together.
“Nigeria and SA must build factories together, and process our resources on African soil. Imagine a joint programme where South African mining expertise is combined with Nigerian oil wealth to create an African-owned energy and resource conglomerate, one that refines, processes and manufactures for Africa and the world.
“Imagine agricultural co-operation where Nigeria’s fertile lands provide food security for the continent, supported by South African machinery, logistics and technology. Imagine collaborative investment in renewable energy, where South Africa’s solar potential and Nigeria’s gas reserves are harnessed to build an integrated African power grid.”
Malema dismissed xenophobia as a potential hindrance to the unity project, warning against its ability to divide the countries.
“This co-operation has been uneven and at times marred by suspicion and the painful existence of xenophobia. Let me be unequivocal here: xenophobia is a betrayal of African unity. It is a sickness born of poverty, inequality and government failure, but its victims are our African brothers and sisters. Nigerians, Zimbabweans, Congolese and Somalis are not the cause of South Africa’s unemployment crisis.
“The cause lies in the untransformed economy of SA, which remains in the hands of a white minority and multinational corporations who continue to exploit labour while refusing to industrialise. Attacking fellow Africans diverts anger from the real enemy and we must educate our people that unity, not division, is the solution.”
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