We don’t have economic power – Zuma

There could be no economic transformation without land reform and laws, and without changing the constitution to allow expropriation without compensation, President Jacob Zuma said in his annual address to the House of Traditional Leaders yesterday.

“The economy is not in our hands. We are not in control of economic power,” Zuma, pictured, said, adding: “The central element of the economy is land.”

The president called for an audit that would draw a map of pre-colonial land ownership, followed by legislation that would allow expropriation without compensation.

“First we must undertake a pre-colonial audit of land ownership, use and occupation patterns. Once the audit has been completed, a single law should be developed to address the issue of land restitution without compensation.

“The necessary constitutional amendments would then be undertaken to effect this process,” he said.

The comment followed days after the ANC caucus in parliament firmly opposed a motion tabled by the Economic Freedom Fighters to amend the constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation.

Zuma said government was considering turning the Land Claims Commission into a chapter 9 Institution to enhance its powers. “We are also looking at the possible redesign and establishment of the National Land Claims Commission as a Chapter 9 Institution, so that it can have the necessary powers to help us reverse this historical injustice.

“This would also require a constitutional amendment.”

On Tuesday, EFF leader Julius Malema said: “People of South Africa, where you see beautiful land, take it, because it belongs to you.”

Malema made the utterance while fighting for an amendment to the constitution to allow expropriation without compensation.

The EFF leader called on black people to unite in ensuring that the constitution was amended because blacks remained a “conquered nation”.

This, he said, was because “Dutch gangsters” came to Africa and took the land from black people by force.

Malema, who was representing the EFF in parliament, offered his party’s 6% of the national vote to the ANC, saying that black people needed to unite in ensuring the constitution was amended. – ANA