---

·      EFF leader, Julius Malema, accused US president, Donald Trump, of violating international law ·      Trump recently captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and bombed Nigeria ·      Malema said Trump was destabilising the world

---

Sizwe sama Yende

---

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has called on South Africa to withdraw from the FIFA World Cup 2026 due to US president Donald Trump’s attitude towards other states.

Speaking at the EFF podcast recently with investigative journalist, Mzilikazi wa Afrika, Malema said: “South Africa, Bafana Bafana must officially withdraw. We must boycott the World Cup in the US. We can’t sit back and allow a person to destabilise the world.”

Malema cited an example of apartheid South Africa, saying  that many countries cut off any trade with the country because it was violating human rights and international law.

However, it is not clear if President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government has taken notice of the EFF leader’s statement. International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, declined to comment.

“I have no comment,” Phiri said.

The United States won a bid to co-host the expanded 48-team World Cup with its neighbours Mexico and Canada. It will be the first time in history that this tournament will be staged across three countries.

Malema said that the South African Football Association must also take a decision to withdraw the national team from the tournament. He said that it was “an act of cowardice” to allow Trump to destabilise the world and added that he was violating international law.

Trump’s irascibility has many countries on tenterhooks after he captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 on allegations that he was part of a cartel shipping drugs to the US. Before the Venezuelan incident, Trump  had also bombed Nigeria  to target militants linked to the Islamic State group. Trump had also strained relations with many countries through introducing high trade tariffs.

Lately, Trump’s administration announced  the suspension of processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Balkans, and several countries in South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The suspension will take effect on January 21 and will affect people intending to relocate to the US permanently, not visitors or short-term visa holders.

This move has however worried many countries considering that the World Cup kicks off in five months.

STARLINK MUST NOT BE ALLOWED

Malema said that Elon Musk’s satellite internet constellation, Starlink, should not be allowed in South Africa, questioning Musk’s real intentions. Musk is Trump’s friend and has been playing a big role to spread the lie that there was white Afrikander genocide in the country.

“They’re coming to police us. They’re coming to create regime change. The white people have realised that they cannot take the country through the ballot,” he said.

Malema said he was not opposed to internet connectivity. He said the more rural people were exposed to connectivity the better. “Our laws are not racist. BEE is not going to be a permanent feature. We’re just using it as an intervening method to address the historical imbalances.”