The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has defended comments by amaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini on the land question. This is as the public consultations around expropriation of land without compensation continues.
King Zwelithini called on his people to stand up and defend their land.
Following a bilateral meeting with traditional leaders body Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa), the EFF came out in support of the comments, saying they were far reasonable as compared to what others have been saying during the consultation.
Both the EFF and Contralesa pledged support for amendments of Section 25 of the Constitution to allow expropriation of land without compensation.
Addressing an Imbizo in Ulundi, northern KwaZulu-Natal, King Zwelithini warned of a clash of nations should the state make good on moves to dissolve the Ingonyama Trust Board. This is as per the recommendations of a high level panel on the Assessment of Key Legislation and Fundamental Change led by former President Kgalema Motlanthe.
However, EFF leader Julius Malema charged that the panel’s recommendations are nothing to worry about as the report has not been adopted by Parliament. He says the King’s comments as far less provocative.
“Stronger things were said than what the King has said. We have heard the Boers declaring civil war, that anyone who touches our land; there will be blood on the floor. They did not say it in a diplomatic way; they said it in a very provocative manner. But we don’t get angry because it’s their contribution. It’s an emotive issue; people say whatever they want to say. So we don’t see the king’s contribution as something different from what we have been listening to. In fact, we see the king’s meeting as very progressive because they are preparing to receive the public hearings of Parliament which are going to KZN.”
At the same time Contralesa has also expressed its displeasure of any move to expropriate land administered by traditional leaders, saying the focus should be on stolen land.
“We believe that the Ingonyama Trust is the administrative instrument which has its own problems but however the land under the Ingonyama Trust administration is the land under African hands, it’s not stolen land. If there are issues at that level, we want to close the door and discuss amongst ourselves as Africans and deal with those problems. We want to make it very clear to the country that we want the focus of expropriation of land without compensation to be the stolen land,” says Contralesa Secretary General Zolani Mkiva.
The EFF and Contralesa discussed a number of areas of concern including the institutionalisation of traditional leadership as well as the upcoming general elections.
Mkiva has defended their decision to meet with the EFF saying the body is prepared to meet with any formation that it deems to be progressive.
Meanwhile, Malema has come out in support of suspended SARS Commissioner Tom Moyane who is facing an inquiry. The probe led by retired Judge Robert Nugent is looking into tax governance and administration at SARS particularly under Moyane’s leadership. Malema says the processes against Moyane were engineered by Minister Pravin Gordhan.
“I have received no favour from Tom Moyane, but you can’t treat him illegally through an unfair process and expect me to keep quiet. I don’t care how Tom Moyane treated me. Actually if those people take Moyane to SARS, we will take Moyane to court ourselves, because there are a lot of issues that he must account on. But it must be done in a proper justifiable process. Why are you doing that Julius? I know they will do it to me if I allow it to happen to another person.”
The EFF meanwhile blamed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration for recent fuel price hikes, saying they are indicative of the fact that the government is hell-bent at milking the poor.
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