Cape Town – Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Julius Malema has argued that South Africans should focus less on foreign nationals operating spaza shops and more on the broader question of ownership of the country’s strategic economic sectors, particularly the mining industry.
Malema made the remarks on Sunday while addressing mourners at the funeral service of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party parliamentary deputy chief whip Mzikayise Ntshingila.
Malema questioned why public anger and mobilisation have largely centred on foreign-owned spaza shops, while there has been little organised action aimed at challenging ownership within the mining sector, which he described as central to South Africa’s economy.
“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, they are not from here,” he said.
Malema argued that the country’s strategic means of production should be returned to what he described as their rightful owners.
“Let the mines, the strategic means of production, be returned into the hands of the rightful owners,” he said.
EFF leader Julius Malema says Africans must not be distracted by internal conflicts such as xenophobia or disputes over spaza shops, but should instead remain united and focus on the bigger struggle of economic liberation through taking control of mines, banks, and other key… pic.twitter.com/v1fYI3YiEC
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) June 14, 2026
Malema also suggested that international powers have shown little concern over tensions surrounding migration and xenophobia in South Africa because doing so does not affect 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.
He argued that South Africans were being distracted by internal divisions instead of focusing on what he described as larger structural economic issues.
“There is no international response. We are concentrating on each other; they are making us lose the bigger picture,” Malema said.
The EFF leader further maintained that meaningful economic transformation should be rooted in addressing inequalities created by colonialism and apartheid. He argued that African workers and women should be prioritised because they remain among the most disadvantaged groups in society.
“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. We ought to emphasise women because their situation is worse,” he said.
‘We were never taught the politics of hate’
According to The Citizen, Malema also claimed that international forces were protecting what he described as white monopoly capital in South Africa and called for unity among ideologically aligned black political formations.
The EFF leader has increasingly positioned himself as a defender of African unity amid growing tensions between anti-illegal immigration groups and migrants living in 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 anti-immigration protests continue to spread across parts of the country. Some African nations have reportedly begun repatriating their citizens from South Africa, while activist groups such as March and March have given government until 30 June to deport undocumented immigrants.
Critics of the protests have warned that they threaten continental unity, with some arguing that colonial-era borders are largely responsible for divisions between African nations.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
