South African opposition leader Julius Malema has renewed calls for a united Africa under one president, one currency, one parliament, and a single military command, urging leaders to dismantle colonial-era borders and foster continental unity.
Speaking on Sunday at the Nigeria Bar Association’s Annual General Conference in Enugu, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president said Africa must speak with one voice to secure its future.
Malema argued that Africa, with its 54 sovereign states, vast mineral wealth, and human capital, has the potential to become an economic powerhouse if united.
He dismissed the notion of Africa as a “dark continent,” insisting that Africans have the capacity to create industries and process their own resources rather than allowing external powers to exploit them.
The EFF leader also called for visa-free movement across Africa, stressing that no African should require a visa to visit another African country. Malema praised Nigeria’s role in supporting South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle and urged both nations to lead the African Continental Free Trade Area initiative to boost economic integration and development
He also warned African governments against reckless borrowing from international lenders like the World Bank, calling for stricter regulation to protect the continent’s economic sovereignty.
“We demand one Africa, we demand a borderless Africa, we demand an Africa with one president, one currency, one military command, with one parliament,” Malema said in his speech at a ceremony attended by thousands of lawyers and other distinguished personalities.
“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.”
Africa comprises 54 recognised sovereign states, each led by its own president or head of state. However, Malema is advocating for a unified African leadership under a single central authority.
“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.
“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.
“Our salvation lies here, in Lagos and Johannesburg, in Abuja and Pretoria, in the hands of Africans who refuse to be divided,” Malema said.
He identified Nigeria and South Africa as critical drivers of Africa’s industrialisation and growth, urging both countries to provide leadership for the continent’s development.
