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A significant portion of Malema's Freedom Day speech addressed the ongoing budget crisis, which he described as unprecedented.
The EFF President and Commander In Chief @Julius_S_Malema addressing Fighters at the Freedom Day Rally.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema delivered a scathing critique of South Africa’s post-apartheid reality during a Freedom Day rally held in Brandfort, Free State – the historic site where Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was banished during apartheid.
Speaking to supporters on Sunday, Freedom Day, Malema questioned the nation’s progress since 1994 and condemned the current Government of National Unity’s (GNU) handling of the budget crisis.
♦️In Pictures♦️
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) April 27, 2025
The EFF President and Commander In Chief @Julius_S_Malema addressing Fighters at the #EFFFreedomDayRally.
We are with the people of the Northern Cape, we are with the leadership of Northern Cape. WE DON’T WANT ORANIA. We don’t want Freedom Front Plus. We don’t… pic.twitter.com/Jy4jM9P4n5
Historic significance of Brandfort rally
Malema opened his address by emphasising the symbolic importance of the rally location: “Today, we gather on sacred ground on an important day in our nation’s history. On this so-called Freedom Day and we are in a place of deep pain, resistance, and unbreakable courage, which was home to the mother of our revolution.”
He paid tribute to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who was forcibly relocated to Brandfort by the apartheid regime between 1977 to 1986.
Despite this isolation, Malema noted that “she continued her anti-apartheid work. Her house became a centre of political activity and community upliftment. She provided food to the hungry, health services to the sick, and hope to the poor.”
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“Freedom without justice”
The central theme of Malema’s address was that South Africa’s freedom remains “incomplete”, particularly due to the lack of accountability for apartheid-era crimes.
“Our freedom is incomplete because it is a freedom without justice,” Malema declared.
The red barrette’s leader further cited several unresolved cases of apartheid atrocities, including the assassinations of Chris Hani and Steve Biko, the Soweto Uprising massacres, and the murder of the Cradock Four.
Malema questioned the meaning of freedom when basic services remain inaccessible to many South Africans: “Why do we claim freedom, when here in Brandfort, you do not have reliable water and electricity?
“Why do we claim we are free, when our children are unemployed and have surrendered themselves to alcohol and drug abuse?”
ALSO READ: Freedom Day: ‘SA a free and sovereign country, not a province of US,’ Mantashe says [VIDEOS]
Criticism of ‘ANC-DA’ GNU
Malema reserved particularly harsh criticism for the African National Congress (ANC) for entering into a GNU with the Democratic Alliance (DA), which he characterised as betraying Madikizela-Mandela’s legacy.
“What would Mama Winnie say in her grave, if she were to find out that the movement she dedicated her life to, the movement that she chose over spending time with her own children, has now decided to spit at her sacrifices and give power to the racists she fought her entire life,” Malema said.
Budget crisis
A significant portion of Malema’s speech addressed South Africa’s ongoing budget crisis, which he described as unprecedented.
“The most critical thing facing all of us as a nation today is that South Africa does not have a budget. Nowhere in the history of the world has a country been able to operate without a budget,” Malema stated.
He criticised Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s handling of the Value Added Tax (VAT) increase and reversal, claiming the minister demonstrated “shocking ignorance of parliamentary processes.”
Malema called for Godongwana’s resignation, saying: “He has become a disgrace and is clearly incapable of leading that ministry or being in charge of our financial future as a country.”
ALSO READ: EFF challenges budget process, calls for reset and VAT clarity
International solidarity
Malema extended condolences for the recent passing of Pope Francis, praising the pontiff for his stance against poverty and his support for Palestine.
He expressed support for Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traoré, describing him as embodying “the awakening of African self-determination”, while condemning what he described as U.S. efforts to destabilize the West African nation.
The EFF leader also addressed conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Western Sahara, calling for greater intervention from the African Union.
On Palestine, Malema condemned South African parliamentarians from opposition parties for visiting Israel.
“This so-called ‘fact-finding mission’ is a betrayal of everything our country stands for… The EFF will never stand with genocide. The EFF will never stand with apartheid. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” Malema said.
NOW READ: DA MPs in Israel: ‘We do not owe the ANC an explanation’
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