Home

‘Have less explosive conversation on land’

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The land question needs to be conducted in a less explosive manner where political leaders do not speak in ways that further divide and polarize South Africa. That’s the view of long time social activist and Amnesty International’s Secretary General-Designate Kumi Naidoo who was on Tuesday night honoured in New York for his activism on behalf of the people and the planet.

The discussion happened on the sidelines of the Shared Interest Benefit Gala that raises funds for its micro-lending to disadvantaged communities, particularly small scale farmers in South Africa.

Naidoo says, “It’s a complicated issue and I say that we need to have a less explosive conversation as a nation than we are having. I worry with the ANC timing at arriving at this position because they (took) the Mugabe playbook in a sense that Mugabe only started talking about land reform when the people were leaving them and moving away from supporting them. So, let’s hope that this doesn’t polarize the country.”

“As somebody deeply committed to land redistribution in a fair, just way and to address the historical injustices of the past, I say we have to do it in a way that is … there is lots of land lying unused in our country, including land owned by the state.”

He also had firm words of advice for the new leadership of the country urging the new President to move beyond rhetoric and closer to accountability.

“In his State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa said that we need to atone for Marikana. We agree with him as civil society in our country that he needs to atone and we all need to atone. But if he wants to really atone, together with his own personal wealth and the wealth of the mine owners, they can actually pay the reparations for the Marikana families themselves.”

“Our people are struggling with this VAT decision. It’s not fair that the poor are being punished for the corruption for the last decade or more. Therefore, if President Ramaphosa wants to move from being just a president to being a great president and to take accountability for what happened then I suggest strongly that he gives serious concern to actually use his own resources. Don’t burden the taxpayers.”

Shared Interest has raised over R1 billion in micro-financing loans to small businesses from disadvantaged communities in the country. Its Executive Director, Donna Katzin says they are not trying to dictate policy to South Africa.

“We know that there have already been measures taken, whose implementation has not been complete. So, there’s still a process of completing the implementation of what exists and we think that in the implementation it’s really still a lot of work to be done. And we need to bring partners to the table that provide technical support; that provide finance, to not only redistribute or restore the land, but also to make it work.”

Naidoo later led the gathering in song, with host Felicia Mabuza-Suttle and former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngucka joining the chorus.

 

 

Author

MOST READ