A speech by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, in which he declared that he did not want votes from people who opposed African unity, has resurfaced on social media as the party faces a difficult showing in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
In the speech, delivered during the party’s 2024 North West manifesto launch, Malema spoke about his commitment to uniting the African continent, saying he was not desperate to become South Africa’s president at the expense of that vision.
“I am not desperate to become the President of South Africa. I am desperate to unite the African continent. And if the unity of my people is going to cost me votes, you can take your votes. I don’t want xenophobic votes, I don’t want the votes of haters,” Malema said.
He went on to argue that South Africans should oppose those who divide people rather than those who promote unity among Africans.
“We must hate those who divide us, not those who unite us. South Africa, you are not Europe of Africa, you are Africa,” he said.
The resurfaced speech has attracted attention amid the EFF’s declining support in the current election results, with some social media users drawing a connection between Malema’s comments and the party’s electoral performance.
One X user commented: “We dealt with him nicely hence he’s eating humble pie.”
Another wrote: “South Africans listened and acted accordingly.”
The comments reflect a section of online opinion suggesting that voters have responded to Malema’s position by withholding their support from the EFF.
However, the social media reactions represent individual views and do not establish why voters chose other parties. The election results alone cannot confirm that Malema’s position on African unity or immigration was responsible for the EFF’s performance.
The speech has nevertheless reopened debate about the relationship between the EFF’s Pan-Africanist political position, public concerns around immigration and the party’s ability to maintain support among South African voters.
