Johannesburg – EFF leader Julius Malema says white South Africans should welcome the existence of his party, arguing that its policies would benefit all citizens by reducing inequality and improving safety.
Speaking at a party gathering in Boksburg on Sunday, Malema said economic freedom for all would eliminate fear, crime and the need for high security walls in predominantly white suburbs.
Malema said white South Africans fear instability because most citizens remain excluded from land ownership and economic participation, and urged them to support the redistribution of resources and improved service delivery in poorer communities.
He argued that better-serviced townships would improve security for everyone.
♦️In Pictures♦️
The EFF President and Commander in Chief @Julius_S_Malema addressing groundforces at the #EFFPlenum2026
You are empowering the poor when you insource. So, lead another campaign of removing the poor from paying for Water and Electricity – and let there be a… pic.twitter.com/OEgocuv8sZ
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) February 1, 2026
“We must make sure that even white communities have to be spoken to because they are being made to be scared of [non-existent] threats. Actually, what we are advocating for is the freedom of white people from high walls.
“They cannot even enjoy their gardens because they are hiding from high walls, but if we usher economic freedom to everybody in South Africa, there will not be a need for high walls because everybody is empowered, everybody is participating in the economy of South Africa.
“So, we need to tell white people, they have got nothing to fear; if anything, they have got everything to celebrate the existence of the EFF because it will bring them freedom to enjoy their neighbourhoods,” he said.
He also said corruption, not the EFF, should be the country’s main enemy, linking corruption directly to poverty and unemployment.
Malema’s remarks come ahead of local government elections and amid ongoing criticism of his past rhetoric, which has seen him accused of divisiveness and incitement, allegations he and the EFF have consistently rejected.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
