Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has urged South Africans to shift their focus away from migrant-owned spaza shops and instead fight for control of the country’s mines and strategic industries. Speaking at the funeral service of uMkhonto weSizwe party parliamentary deputy chief whip Muzi Ntshingila in Johannesburg yesterday, Malema accused foreign powers of shielding “white money” while ignoring xenophobic tensions in South Africa.
“Why is there a strike to fight for spaza shops, but there is no strike to block the roads and claim the mines and say these people who are mining here are the same as those that own spaza shops,” Malema asked. “Let the mines, the strategic means of production, be returned into the hands of the rightful owners.”
International Powers Protecting White Capital
Malema suggested that global powers have deliberately avoided intervening in South Africa’s xenophobic unrest because it does not serve their interests. “Why are there no sanctions? Go to Cape Town and take them out of their posh houses and say to them, show us your passport. Go to Sandton and say to them show us your passport. Let’s see what Israel is going to do to you. Let’s see what America is going to do to you,” he said.
According to Malema, these forces are protecting white monopoly capital in South Africa. He called for unity among all ideologically black groupings, insisting that the struggle for redress must urgently address the inequalities rooted in colonialism and apartheid.
Redress And Inequality
Malema emphasised that the African working class faces far harsher conditions than their white counterparts. “The African working class and the white working class are not of the same status. We ought to emphasise the African working class because their situation is worse,” he said.
He added that women endure “triple oppression” and must be prioritised in the struggle for redress. “It doesn’t mean we hate men, but because women suffer triple oppression. It doesn’t mean we hate coloureds, but their conditions were not the same as ours. It doesn’t mean we hate Indians, but their conditions were not the same as ours. And when we start [the process of redress] we have to start with the worse ones coming this way. It’s not a hatred, it’s redress… it is a struggle we are engaged in: the struggle to own the means of production.”
African Unity Amid Xenophobic Tensions
Malema has consistently positioned himself as a defender of African unity, even as anti-immigrant protests spread across South Africa. “We were never taught the politics of hate and we will never start hating now. We love all South Africans, Africans in particular, both in South Africa, Africa and in the diaspora,” he said.
His comments come as several African states repatriate citizens in response to growing hostility. Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana and Nigeria have all moved nationals back home in recent weeks. Groups such as March and March have given the South African government until 30 June to deport all illegal immigrants, further intensifying the debate.
Populist Rhetoric And Political Strategy
Observers note that Malema’s rhetoric reflects a broader populist strategy. Populist politicians often exploit gaps in the political landscape, and Malema has long capitalised on frustration with capitalism and “white monopoly capital.”
For years, the ANC has been accused of paying lip service to the ideals of the struggle while failing to deliver meaningful change. Disappointment among the poor has created fertile ground for Malema’s message. Yet, analysts argue that his focus on white monopoly capital may be losing traction as many South Africans increasingly blame migrants for their hardships.
While other politicians have embraced anti-migrant sentiment, Malema has staked his position firmly against scapegoating fellow Africans. His insistence that “white money, not migrants” is the real problem may cost him support in the current climate, where anti-immigrant protests dominate public discourse.
