Johannesburg - There was nothing wrong with the attempted land occupations in Nellmapius, Pretoria east, earlier this week, EFF leader Julius Malema said on Friday.
“These are progressive programmes which must happen everywhere in South Africa,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.
If the government could not give the people land then they had to take it. “That is our land. They must take it,” he said.
“If you can't lead the masses they will lead themselves.”
Malema said he did not care if the land was private or state owned, and that the Economic Freedom Fighters was not ashamed to be part of this struggle.
He said there would be more of these “programmes” after the party's national people's assembly, which is expected to be held in December.
On Wednesday morning, Nellmapius residents tried to erect shacks on land which the African National Congress in Gauteng said had been earmarked for low cost housing.
The shacks were removed, which apparently angered residents.
Residents threw stones at Tshwane metro police and barricaded roads with rocks, tree branches and burning tyres. Metro police responded by firing rubber bullets.
EFF Nellmapius branch chairman Vusi Msiza said the land occupation began on Sunday.
“We found people on the land who were trying to erect shacks,” he told residents on Wednesday.
“As the EFF found them here, then we decided to support the community, because we are all affected by this.”
Sapa