The President of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, has called for the unification of Africa under a single president, a unified currency, a single parliament, and a unified military command.
Malema made the demand while delivering a keynote address at the Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference in Enugu on Sunday, attended by thousands of lawyers and dignitaries.
In his fiery address, the 44-year-old politician urged African leaders to dismantle colonial boundaries and work towards a borderless continent.
Malema said, “We demand one Africa, we demand a borderless Africa, we demand an Africa with one president, one currency, one military command, with one parliament.
“We know the currency of Africa will be much stronger against the American currency. We don’t care what Donald Trump or any other leader thinks of us. Africans must refuse to be subjects of others. We must stand together as the world changes and show the world that Africa is one and equal to all nations”, he said.
Rejecting the notion of Africa as a “dark continent,” Malema insisted the continent was richly endowed with resources capable of driving prosperity.
He said, “We are a shining nation. We must make sure that no single corner of Africa witnesses Africans killing each other. We must unite against the forces that seek to exploit us”, he added.
According to him, “The land belongs to Africans, and the minerals of Africa must be returned to Africans. We have the capacity to create industries and process our minerals here. We must never allow imperialist forces to divide us in order to take our wealth”, he stated.
Malema also demanded visa-free movement across the continent, stressing that Africans should not require visas to visit one another.
He said, “Our salvation lies here, in Lagos and Johannesburg, in Abuja and Pretoria, in the hands of Africans who refuse to be divided,” he explained.
The EFF leader identified Nigeria and South Africa as critical to Africa’s industrialisation and development, urging them to provide the leadership needed to transform the continent.
He praised Nigeria for standing firmly with South Africa during the fight against apartheid and said both countries could drive the African Continental Free Trade Area to uplift ordinary citizens.
Malema further cautioned African nations against reckless borrowing from international lenders.
He said African leaders must “strictly regulate loans from the World Bank and other international lenders” to prevent exploitation and protect the continent’s future.
