Land debate ‘too much’ for Zuma’s liking

Former president Jacob Zuma says there is “too much” debate on the land issue for his “liking”.

Zuma on Wednesday morning posted a two-part video clip on his Twitter account airing his views on the land question.

According to Zuma‚ the drafters of the Freedom Charter – which states “Land shall be shared among those who work it” – had much more advanced ideas in mind.

He said the ANC had taken a “very clear resolution” on the land question at its December 2017 conference at Nasrec.

“Having also experienced that what was an arrangement before of the state buying the land [based] on market prices under the principle of willing buyer [willing seller]‚ we have agreed now‚ that has not solved the problem.

“And that is why the ANC debated the matter and took a very clear resolution that we must have expropriation without compensation. I do not know why there is a long debate on this matter because it is simple. We cannot change the facts of history.”

Zuma charged that history revealed that after the Berlin Conference (in 1884-85)‚ white people came to SA and took the land away from its indigenous people.

Moreover‚ said Zuma‚ freedom would not be complete until those who had been dispossessed of their land regained what they had lost.

“The ills of the black people in South Africa‚ the bigger portions of it‚ emanate from the land dispossession. You solve the problem of the land‚ you will solve the poverty in this country‚ inequalities and the economic issues‚” said Zuma.

“We are saying those who own huge stretches of land must share it with those who are indigenous and [who] owned this land before.”

Zuma compared SA with European countries‚ claiming that in developed countries land was owned by the state and leased to private individuals.

“I have become more convinced that the drafters of the Freedom Charter were more advanced than us because they talked about the nationalisation of the land and that is what developed countries do‚” he said.

“No land is sold to individuals because land is an important resource to the nation. That is my feeling about the issue of the land. We are discussing it too much for my liking.”

I do not know why there is a long debate because it is simple. We cannot change the facts of history