Controversial South African opposition figure, Julius Malema, visits Sanwo-Olu in Lagos

A prominent South African opposition figure, Julius Malema, paid a courtesy visit to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos House, Marina, ahead of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual conference.

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Mr Sanwo-Olu disclosed this in a Facebook post on Saturday.

Mr Malema is the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – one of the major opposition political parties in South Africa – was announced as the NBA’s keynote speaker for the 2025 conference, which will run from 22 to 30 August.

EFF similarly announced Mr Malema’s meeting with Mr Sanwo-Olu on social media.

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“His Excellency Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu honoured the President and CIC @Julius_S_Malema with two priceless gifts: a commemorative Eyo gift pack, symbolising the cultural heritage of Lagos, and a plaque bearing the official seal of the Lagos State Government, as a mark of friendship and mutual respect,” EFF posted on X.

According to the EFF on X, Mr Malema, also visited Babatunde Ogala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), ahead of the event.

NBA guest

Mr Malema is scheduled to address the Nigerian Bar Association’s annual general conference at Enugu International Conference, Enugu, Enugu State, South-east Nigeria.

With the theme, ‘Stand out, stand tall,’ the NBA’s annual general conference will bring together legal practitioners, policymakers, judges, academics, and international guests, convened to reflect on law, democracy, governance, and nation-building.

***Prominent South African opposition leader Julius Malema paid a courtesy visit to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu***

More than 20,000 are expected to attend the conference. Also, former president Olusegun Obasanjo will chair the opening ceremony of the event.

Malema’s politics

The EFF leader has been known for his outspoken views and controversial chants, including the decades-old anti-apartheid song “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer.” This song has been a contention, with some parties representing white South Africans attempting to ban it.

He vowed to continue using controversial chants despite criticism from US President Donald Trump. In May, during a White House meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mr Trump showed a video featuring Mr Malema’s chants to support his claims of “white genocide” in South Africa.

The US president demanded from his South-African counterpart why Mr Malema had not been arrested for the controversial chants. However, Mr Malema responded that he,” will never be intimidated by Donald Trump.” He denied genocide in South Africa and maintained that the US would not be allowed to dictate to South Africa.

Mr Malema, a former leader of the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC) – South Africa’s ruling party since the end of apartheid in 1994 – was expelled from the party in 2012 and formed the EFF in 2013.

He is a feisty critic of the South African government led by President Ramaphosa.

He is also an advocate of the controversial expropriation of White South Africans’ land, a key component of EFF’s economic freedom manifesto touted as measure to correcting land ownership imbalance skewed in favour of the While during the apartheid rule in the country.

Mr Malema has also called for the unification of African countries to match the economic strenghs of the US and the European Union.