Land grab will be policy: Malema

ANCYL president Julius Malema. Picture: Phill Magakoe

ANCYL president Julius Malema. Picture: Phill Magakoe

Published May 6, 2011

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Julius Malema says the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) will ensure that the government begins expropriating land without compensation to redistribute it speedily to the masses.

Speaking at a National Press Club briefing in Pretoria yesterday, Malema said the “willing buyer, willing seller” policy was clearly not working and had to be scrapped, adding that it was obvious the target of having expropriated 30 percent of land by 2014 would not be reached.

The ANCYL president was speaking before the youth league’s 24th national congress, scheduled for later month, at which the league is expected to adopt its programme of action for economic freedom. He said those who thought expropriation without compensation would not happen should remember that it was the then-ANCYL that forced the ANC to take up the armed struggle, despite the ANC initially being against it.

“At the rate we are going now, it means we will only be able to expropriate 5 percent of land every 20 years, meaning it will take us 100 years to expropriate 20 percent. We will not be part of that failure.”

Malema said the new approach was also informed by the fact that “when the colonisers and those who have the land took it away from us, they did not compensate, so why should they demand?”

“Another reason for this is because government does not have enough money to buy all the land. We run the risk of failing to deliver on the other services, which include free education, health care and other social responsibilities.

“What we are saying is that we must share the land equally. If you have 1 000ha, you must give us 800 so you remain with 200, and we can share the 800 among the people. This must happen within the constitutional framework because we respect the law.” Malema said the policy on expropriation could be changed easily by amending Section 25 of the constitution as the ANC commanded a majority in Parliament.

He said there were people in the ANC who did not share these views, but they should think again if they thought they would not be the party’s policy.

“The leadership of the ANC did not favour taking up the armed struggle in the fight against apartheid, but (the ANCYL) convinced them this was the way to go. It became the approach of the organisation because of us under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. So those saying this is not the policy of the ANC should think again as it will be the policy of the ANC.

“We went to the ANC’s national general council and they said nationalisation was not on the agenda, but we came out with a resolution on the nationalisation of mines.”

In fact, the ANC resolved to appoint investigators to research the question of nationalisation.

Malema said the nationalisation of mineral resources was fundamental to “achieving economic freedom in our lifetime”. The wealth of areas had to be reflected in their development.

“There is nothing special about Gauteng except that gold was found here and development happened as a result of that. If we say there is the biggest belt of platinum (and copper) in Rustenburg up to Sekhukhune, that must be reflected in the industrialisation and development.” - Pretoria News

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