EFF leader Julius Malema has stirred national conversation with a bold call for men to financially support women as a form of redress for historical and ongoing gender oppression. Speaking at a Women’s Day rally in Secunda on August 9, 2025, Malema told supporters that men who don’t give women money are “irresponsible,” and emphasized that black women in particular deserve compensation due to what he described as “triple oppression” based on race, gender, and socio-economic exclusion.
His message—part challenge, part provocation—was clear: financial support is not just personal generosity but political justice. Malema argued that women, especially black women, continue to bear the compounded burden of systemic inequality and should be compensated in tangible ways, including financial means. “They’ve gone through pain, and they still go through pain,” he said.
Malema also used the platform to call for stronger male accountability in the fight against gender-based violence and to propose strict measures against absent fathers. He suggested that under an EFF-led government, men who fail to pay child maintenance could be blacklisted from economic participation. “When you don’t support your child, you are creating a criminal in our community,” he warned, drawing a direct line between economic neglect and social breakdown.
His comments arrive at a time when South Africa remains deeply affected by high unemployment, gender-based violence, and widening economic inequality. While President Cyril Ramaphosa also stressed the importance of women’s financial inclusion during National Women’s Day commemorations, Malema’s uncompromising rhetoric has reignited debate on what real empowerment looks like—and who must pay for it.
Supporters view his remarks as an urgent appeal for economic justice, while critics question the practicality and tone of his approach. Either way, the conversation has been reignited, and Malema, once again, has made sure no one is sitting comfortably on the sidelines.
