Africa-Press – South-Africa. When African nations removed their colonial masters, it promised its liberated people heaven, but sometimes it appears as if the devil and heaven conspired, said Professor Patrick Lumumba.
He was delivering the keynote address at the Cape Town leg of the EFF’s 10th anniversary celebrations, held at the University of Cape Town (UCT) on Monday.
“The story of Africa is a story of a missed opportunity. We sing our national anthems as we should, we fly our flags as we should. But yet, we have fallen short. Sometimes when I look at Africa today I feel sad,” said Lumumba.
In tune with the EFF’s anti-western stance, the controversial scholar praised the party for fighting to change the narrative in South Africa.
Lumumba was, however, critical of leaders of African countries who made empty promises.
“When we removed them [colonisers], we made unto ourselves many promises. We promised ourselves heaven, but sometimes it appears that the devil and heaven conspired. I feel sad when the Chinese come here and they humiliate us. I feel sad.”
He added:
He repeated the EFF’s call for a unified Africa with no borders.
“Africa must have one currency, one foreign policy. Africa cannot be slaves of the International Monetary Fund and be told who our friends and enemies are. We cannot go on and say that our claim to fame is that we are borrowing [money],” he said.
Lumumba delivered a fiery speech to the roars of EFF members, but there were protests by students and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Private security formed a human chain to block student protesters from the hall where the speech was being delivered.
At one point, a confrontation between EFF members and the students broke out, with many students shouting, “shame on you”.
UCT has faced backlash for allowing the EFF to host the lecture on its grounds.
Last month, a petition, penned by staff and students, was issued to the university’s interim vice-chancellor, Daya Reddy, and the deputy vice-chancellor, Elelwani Ramugondo.
Faaria Theba, one of the organisers of the gathering, said: “We have tried to engage with the university but they could not cancel the event because they had a contractual agreement. We want to make it known that he [Lumumba] is not welcome here nor is he welcome in a country meant to promote LGBTQIA+ rights.”
Previously, UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola told News24: “The university has noted with concern the comments that have been made by the speaker and the critical conversations that have emerged as a result, and urges the external host to engage these accordingly.”
The chairperson of the South African Students Congress, Mabhavana Moyane, said it was disappointing that the EFF decided to forge ahead with the event, despite continued calls for the planned talk not to go ahead.
“What we have come here to say is that, in South Africa and anywhere in the world, there should be no room for homophobia. You cannot march to the embassy of Uganda and then invite a homophobe,” he said.
In a statement on Monday, the EFF Students’ Command said the instigators of the protest had opportunistically disguised it as a pro-LGBTQIA+ protest
“When the EFF marched to the Ugandan High Commission against the regressive and homophobic laws of Uganda, it was their president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who welcomed the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, with open arms to South Africa.
“President Museveni not only signed homophobia into law, but he also demanded harsher sentences as far as the death penalty for ‘same-sex acts’. There was no outrage when Ramaphosa welcomed and dined with the man at the helm of human rights violations,” it said.
The DA’s Traverse Le Goff, who joined the student protests, said Lumumba’s presence exposed the EFF.
“The EFF are welcome to celebrate their anniversary, but they are really showing their true colours by choosing to dignify someone with the honour of speaking at their event who is a clear enemy of progress, freedom and human rights,” he said.
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