EFF leader Julius Malema says he is expecting more international backlash when the Constitution is amended to provide for expropriation of land without compensation.
“More backlash is going to come. If South Africans are not ready to expropriate land because they are scared of sanctions; they are scared of backlash - don’t vote EFF,” Malema told a press briefing.
“If you vote for us, we are going to expropriate land. Donald Trump will come for us. Britain will come for us. The EU will come for us,” he said.
He made the statement after US President Donald Trump ordered his secretary of state to study closely the moves to amend the Constitution for expropriation of land without compensation and the killing of farmers.
Trump’s announcement came months after civil society organisation AfriForum mobilised international support.
Malema said Trump had not said anything extreme, but he was adamant that things were still to come, including killings, sanctions and poverty.
“I hope the Zuma group knows the consequences. We know the consequences,” he said.
“We know the first response will be killings. They will kill us for that. This is a group of white right-wingers who are trained by Jews in Pretoria to be snipers,” Malema said.
He also said Trump’s tweet made the EFF more determined to expropriate land without compensation.
“We know the consequences of what we are asking for. It’s not like we go to these things without knowing the consequences. If anyone is in this thing not knowing the consequences, then you are in a wrong place.”
He also said they were suspicious that the DA and the ANC camp aligned to President Cyril Ramaphosa held the same view as Afriforum to “lobby international support so that we develop cold feet”.
“They want to use these types of threats to get out of this thing. We must never be fooled. We are not kids,” he said.
Recalling a session in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Malema said Ramaphosa, whom he described as having lost touch with the people, was at pains explaining himself on land expropriation.
“It is the most difficult thing to explain a policy you don’t believe in. How do you say you must expropriate and give people title deeds?” he said before again rejecting the notion of granting people title deeds when land is expropriated.
Malema also said they welcomed the start of the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture despite their concerns with former AG Terence Nombembe being in the team.
“We will leave everything in God’s hands. Anything is possible. Nombembe is part of those arrangements,” he said.
“We don’t have confidence in Nombembe but there are some individuals of good standing and credibility.
“Those are people who give us are some comfort,” he said.
Malema said the way Judge Raymond Zondo handled the EFF's concern about Nombembe made them suspicious.
“We have not come to a conclusion about Zondo, but, you know, we are very careful around him. Only time will tell.”