Julius Malema Argues African Leaders Must Fund Public Services for Nationals in SA

EFF leader Julius Malema has sparked a heated online conversation after laying out a bold immigration accountability proposal during a podcast sit-down with media personality Nandi Madida. Malema appeared on The Motherhood Network’s Election Series on 16 October 2026, making him the second political leader to feature in the series.

Action SA’s Herman Mashaba had appeared on 11 October 2026. The podcast is designed to give South African mothers direct access to political leaders ahead of the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections. Filmed in a relaxed indoor setting on a grey couch, with professional microphones and the @themotherhoodnetworkza branding visible throughout, the conversation quickly moved into politically charged territory. Malema argued that frustration over immigration in South Africa is not a product of xenophobia but rather a consequence of African leaders failing their own people.

He was clear that his concerns extend beyond African migrants, pointing out that undocumented individuals from various parts of the world are living in South Africa but that public discourse tends to single out Africans. “There are a lot of whites here without papers, there are a lot of Indians here without papers, there are a lot of Chinese without papers,” he said, adding that everyone in an irregular situation should be treated the same. His most striking proposal was a financial accountability mechanism, where countries whose citizens rely on South Africa’s healthcare and education systems would be formally billed for those services.

Using Zimbabwe as his example, Malema argued that international law should be used to compel governments to pay up. “There should be an international law where if we give Zimbabwe a bill and it refuses to pay, we can subject them to international law,” he said. He also suggested that, under an EFF-led government, the state would step in to assist those found without documentation while simultaneously recovering costs from their countries of origin. The interview drew a range of responses online, with peeps divided on whether his proposals hold practical weight. @we_madhlamini wrote: “He is in parliament; I have never heard him propose this there. But anyways, we are empathetic to other Africans, but truthfully, they are not empathetic towards us. In fact, they hate us.

For me, these protests have just magnified the hate we have for each other as Africans. In which case, it is better they hate us sitting in their countries than hate us sharing our country with them. Sad but true.” @charityralekoa13 said: “The first thing I totally agree on with HIM – BILL EVERY COUNTRY FOR SERVICES PROVIDED TO THEIR Citizens MONTHLY.” @liziwematloha was sceptical: “His Concerns are not for South Africans.” @amahle8541 questioned why the billing hadn’t started already: “Why don’t they bill them now, because already they have used our resources for years, and they must leave our country 😡. In the first place, why are they still in our Xenophobic country?”

https://briefly.co.za/entertainment/celebrities/256593-julius-malema-tells-nandi-madida-african-leaders-pay-citizens-sa-services/

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