Johannesburg - EFF leader Godrich Gardee has urged his supporters to occupy privately-owned land in the Free State.
Gardee, the EFF’s secretary-general, made the call on Thursday, while addressing about 500 people in Zamdela township outside Sasolburg
He was speaking at the second commemoration service of four people killed in a violent protest against the merger of Metsimaholo Municipality in Sasolburg and Ngwathe municipalities in Parys, in January 2013.
While paying tribute to them, Gardee used the opportunity to encourage his supporters to occupy private land.
The service was held at the Amelia sportsground, metres away from the targeted land.
Its owners have since moved to the Western Cape.
Only certain portions of land were occupied by their previous employees and farmworkers.
Now Gardee has urged his supporters to occupy the vast fertile land by erecting shacks in “the dead of night”.
The stretch of land was earmarked for RDP houses last year for those living in dilapidated hostels in Zamdela, but the deal fell through when no settlement was reached between the owner and the Metsimaholo council.
“That land belongs to you. You must occupy it.
“They used guns to take over our land. Now, you must erect your shacks there,” Gardee said.
“Do not go there as a mass of people, go there in the dead of night in small numbers so as not to alert the police and the Red Ants.
“Those who succeed to build their shacks must remain there for 48 hours before the mass construction of other shacks. If you’ve been there for 48 hours, it will be difficult for the police or the municipality to remove you.
“Preferably, you must occupy the land during public holidays.
“This country has a lot of public holidays. You must occupy the land during the public holidays when the police and Red Ants are on holiday,” Gardee said.
“You must do it secretly. Do not make announcements on radios. They must just find you staying there,” he said.
The EFF official’s call comes after the failure last Friday to occupy the same land.
The Red Ants thwarted plans to erect more shacks in the area and police arrested four EFF leaders.
EFF Fezile Dabi regional leaders Bosanku Simanga, Lefa Magata and Dibetsoe Seoparo were arrested on the farm, now nicknamed “Zimbabwe”. Prime suspect and the party’s regional chairman, April Motaung, was arrested in a bank in Sasolburg on Monday. The four have been charged with trespassing and illegal gathering.
They are due to appear in the Sasolburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a bail bid.
The Star