The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, has declared that Nigeria stood firmly by South Africa during the latter’s darkest hours while fighting for liberation.
He stated this in his keynote address delivered at the official opening ceremony of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2025 Annual General Conference taking place in Enugu State.
He noted that Nigeria was not just another African country to South Africa but a comrade nation that rose as a giant of justice when the people of South Africa were being murdered and imprisoned.
“Nigeria is not just another African country to us, it is a comrade nation, one that stood firmly by our side during our darkest hours, when our people were being murdered, imprisoned, denied basic humanities, Nigeria rose as a giant of justice.
“People paid directly from their salaries to support the liberation of our South African people, we cannot forget those who stood by us during difficult times,” he stated.
He noted that Nigeria boycotted the 1976 Olympic Games to protest against apartheid, adding that Nigerian students also made sacrifices to support the liberation of his people in South Africa.
Going down memory lane, the human rights activist noted that when Nelson Mandela was released from prison, he visited Lagos and Abuja to thank Nigeria for its contributions.
He, however, emphasised that the historic bond between Nigeria and South Africa must be sustained.
He also stressed the need for Nigeria and South Africa to synergise economically, and expressed sadness over the exploitation of Africa’s raw materials and later sold to them at high cost.
He stressed the need for the end of the circle of dependency in Africa, saying that Nigeria and South Africa have the capacity to make a difference.
Earlier, the chairman of the opening ceremony, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged the participants to ensure the implementation of the conference communique that will be issued at the end of the event.
Also, in his remarks, the president of the NBA, Afam Osigwe, stressed the need for the participants to make difficult decisions for the betterment of Nigeria.
