British High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson, has issued a formal apology to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema after the UK Home Office failed to process his visa application on time.
Malema had been scheduled to speak at the Africa Together Conference hosted by Cambridge University but was forced to cancel his trip while already at the airport due to incomplete travel documents. The delay was attributed to recent bank holidays in the United Kingdom, which affected processing timelines.
In a letter addressed to EFF Deputy President Godrich Gardee and made public by the party, Phillipson acknowledged the disruption caused and expressed regret that the visa application could not be finalised despite the delegation applying in advance and paying for priority service.
The High Commissioner said he had taken a personal interest in the matter and remained in contact with officials at the Home Office but clarified that he had no authority to alter their decisions. He also indicated that the UK would fully refund the visa and priority service fees.
The EFF has described the incident as an administratively driven attempt to prevent its president from addressing the international audience.
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