Johannesburg - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have slammed former president Thabo Mbeki for calling on government to take action against Zindzi Mandela Hlongwane, South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark, for labelling white people as beneficiaries of stolen land on Twitter.
In a statement, the party has not taken kindly to Mbeki saying that Mandela Hlongwane’s tweets were inconsistent with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s message on the land issue.
“President Thabo Mbeki confesses not to know what the actual Twitter comments of Zindzi Mandela were. However, because of an uncontrollable appetite to appear as a paragon of correctness, he still provides comments.
“Essentially, the former president comments on things happening on the ground which he has no knowledge of, true to his aloof self,” EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said.
He added that Mandela Hlongwane had correctly made the observation that white people in South Africa were beneficiaries of stolen land and that in essence, black people did not need the consent of white people to take back their land.
Ndlozi said that this was because even by international law, colonialism was an unforgivable crime against humanity.
“The genuine leap of faith by black people to avoid the path of vengeance and punitive justice has however been repaid by 25 years of continued refusal of recognition by white people.
“White South Africans refuse to recognise blacks as rightful owners of the land and subject themselves to a constitutional and peaceful land reform process dictated to by black people.
“Of all people who must deny Zindzi Mandela to voice this frustration is former President Mbeki. This is because as president of South Africa he failed with flying colours to resolve the land question. In fact, he paid no passionate and consistent attention on it as he did the neoliberal restricting of the state,” said Ndlozi.
He added that Mbeki also seemed not to be “retreating his assault of the Winnie Mandela household”.
“What was wrong with him just saying he has no knowledge of what Zindzi Mandela said? He could not say this because the Winnie Mandela household must always be put to its place: a place of docility,” Ndlozi said.
He said that the EFF was standing in support of Mandela Hlongwane because not only was she right but she represents a genuine cry of many generations of African people who wanted “to call this country their own”.
“They are unable to do so because the colonial dispossession of their land has not been corrected by, among others, President Mbeki,” added Ndlozi.