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Land issue should be addressed speedily: PAC

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The Pan African Congress (PAC) warned that the country will be in trouble if the land issue is not addressed adequately and speedily.

These remarks were expressed during a summit at Freedom Park in Pretoria on the land question, where academics and various stakeholders were in attendance.

The Party faithful attended a land summit on the day which the party celebrates as Heroes Day. Land forms an integral part of the PAC’s philosophy. However, with the five year-old Economic Freedom Fighters making louder noise regarding land, the PAC’s voice appears to be drowned out.

The organisation says that land redistribution will help to address social disparities.

Party president Narius Moloto says, “The question of the redistribution of the land, the question of the amendment of the constitution is going to be done. It’s not a question of whether someone likes it or not. It’s going to be done.”

“But as the leadership as the Pan Africanist Congress we need to move beyond just that debate. We need to go to the point where we debate the scenarios. What is it that the redistribution of the land should look like”, added Moloto.

Various Academics also made inputs on why it’s imperative to return the country’s land to its rightful owners. Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said there must be careful consideration when amending Section 25 of the Constitution.

Seepe said, “If you are going to participate in addressing the clause that has become infamous now, the section 25 of the Constitution you must address it having full understanding of what the struggle was always about.

“It was about land and Cunningham was also saying there is this notion that the land belongs to all who live in it. We’re the only country in the world that talks that nonsense,” said Seepe.

Economic expert Chris Malikane said, “For you or for us to extract that ground rent we need to be landlords all of us. The state needs to be the landlord for each to have the legal right to extract that rent. That is why my argument is that we need to nationalise the land.”

Traditional leaders also weighed in on the matter. Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa emphasised that Africa belongs to Africans and reiterated the urgency for land redistribution.

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