South African opposition leader and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, labeled the anti-immigration marches across South Africa as “clownish” and “stupid.”
Thousands have marched in anti-immigration protests in South Africa, accusing illegal immigrants of taking away jobs, healthcare, housing, and public services.
Speaking during an interview with Sky News Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir, Malema rejected the idea that xenophobia exists in South Africa, describing the participants instead as a group of charlatans, extortionists, and corrupt individuals trying to extort foreign nationals.
Malema also alleged that these marches are sponsored and fully backed by the government to distract South Africans from major issues.
He questioned how an ordinary person could publicly manhandle another individual in front of the police, calling it a crime in itself.
Malema challenged the narrative that foreign nationals are driving crime, pointing out that the majority of prisoners in South African jails are South African men, not individuals from Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria, or the DRC.
Watch the interview below..