South African opposition leader Julius Malema has extolled Nigeria’s contributions towards ensuring South Africa’s freedom from apartheid.

Mr Malema, the founder and leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, also condemned xenophobia in South Africa, calling it “a betrayal of African unity”.

Malema spoke at the opening of the 2025 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, held at the International Conference Centre in Enugu, on Sunday evening.

He said Nigeria was one of the countries that stood firmly by South Africa during that country’s darkest hour.

Malema said, “I must reiterate once again that it is a deep honour to stand before you today in Enugu State in Nigeria, a country that holds a special place in the hearts of all South Africans. We understand history, feel solidarity, and appreciate the sacrifice made by others in the course of our history. Nigeria is not just another African country to us.”

He recalled that when South Africa was shackled by apartheid and their people were murdered, imprisoned, and denied basic humanity, Nigeria rose as a giant for justice, placing his country squarely at the centre of its corridors.

According to him, Nigeria set up the Southern African Relief Fund and mobilised its citizens to contribute to the liberation struggle.

“Even as it faced its own challenges at home, these initiatives raised millions of dollars to support the liberation of South Africa as people paid directly from their salaries to contribute to the liberation struggle.

“Nigerian students sacrificed a portion of their income, through the Mandela Tax, which supported an educational training programme for Black South Africans. A successive Nigerian government never stopped in their material and moral support for South Africa’s liberation. In fact, the Nigerian government boycotted the 1976 Olympic Games and the 1979 Convention of the Multiculturalists,” Malema said.

He added that Nigerian students not only contributed through the Mandela Tax, but also through protests in opposition to apartheid.

“We can neither forget all those who stood by us during difficult times, nor can we forget that when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, one of his earliest international visits was Lagos and Abuja to personally thank the Nigerian people.

“These gestures are the foundation of a bond sealed in blood and sacrifice. However, this history must not remain in the past. This bond between South Africa and Nigeria must be carried forward into the present, not just in political sentiment but in concrete economic collaboration as both our nations stand as giants of the continent,” he stressed.

Mr Malema urged collaboration between the two countries to tap into areas where one has an advantage over the other. He identified mining, advanced infrastructure, financial systems, entrepreneurial spirit, oil and gas resources, and cultural dynamics as areas in both countries where collaboration could be beneficial.

Mr Malema, however, expressed regret that with all the potential, abundance of natural resources, both nations “remain strapped in neo-colonial arrangements where our raw materials are extracted cheaply”.

According to him, xenophobia is a betrayal of African unity and a sickness born of poverty.

(NAN)