Cape Town, May 8 (AP) A far-left South African politician renowned for his anti-West rhetoric has accused UK authorities of denying him a visa to speak at an event at Cambridge University for political reasons.

Julius Malema, the leader of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party, said on Wednesday that the decision was effectively a ban on him addressing students and "an attempt to silence a dissenting political perspective".

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He posted on social media platform X that he had been assured that his visa was being processed but had received "a regret letter" informing him his application was not successful while he was at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport waiting for his flight to London.

Malema, who also uses the title "Commander in Chief" of his party, has previously demanded the UK pay reparations and apologise to African nations for colonialism. The lawmaker and his party have also accused the British monarchy of playing a leading role in the slave trade and colonial abuses.

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The BBC reported that it had seen a leaked letter to Malema's EFF party from the British high commissioner to South Africa personally apologising that the UK Home Office was not able to process Malema's visa in time and saying it was due to procedural issues. The letter from High Commissioner Antony Phillipson cited "the unfortunate timing" of recent British national holidays, according to the BBC.

The Home Office did not comment.

Malema was due to speak at an Africa-themed event at Cambridge University on Saturday, his party said.

The firebrand politician, who was expelled from South Africa's then-ruling African National Congress party in 2012, has also taken anti-Western positions recently on the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict. He has voiced support for Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and has accused Western nations of supporting and financing what he calls Israel's "genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza.

In October, the UK denied ex-South African lawmaker Mandla Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, a visa to travel and speak at pro-Palestinian events in several British cities. Mandla Mandela said he was informed by the Home Office that his visa had been rejected because of his support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which the UK considers a terrorist organisation, and his presence was "not conducive to the public good".

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)