Reject promotion of shack mentality
EXPROPRIATION of land without compensation that promotes a mikhukhu (shack) mentality will just create more slums and a playground for celebrity politicians who recently discovered their relevance 24 years after the democratic dispensation.
The fact that every politician in this country wants to be seen to be relevant in the current political discourse does not exonerate all those who were part of the governing party and supporters for the past 24 years for their failure to ensure expropriation and redistribution of the land to the landless majority.
It is because of those who want to sound revolutionary and radical today that we are having these unfulfilled liberation struggle promises.
It is because of their failure to act and their convenient decision to chase political power at all costs that, by and large, the democratic dispensation continues to exclusively benefit parliamentarians, the middle class, the governing elite and their associates.
We are sitting on a time-bomb and it is so unfortunate that this unresolved land issue after 24 years of political “independence” will only provide a playground for the self-appointed and questionable community leaders, anarchists and charlatans to exploit the situation. We are already seeing brother pitted against brother in some communities in Gauteng in areas such as Marimba Gardens in Vosloorus, Protea Glen in Soweto and Mahube Valley in Mamelodi.
I honestly do sympathise with those who own private and bonded properties within the areas where land grabs are encouraged by some community and political party leaders; and it is only a matter of time before this land grab develops into anarchy.
It is so unfortunate that some of the political party leaders encouraging land grabs in this country, including those in parliament, are promoting this anarchy knowing very well that they reside where there is no possibility of land grabs.
They also enjoy 24-hour personal security, are always accompanied by armed bodyguards and live behind electric-fenced security walls. Their actions are misleading and disingenuous.
Azapo’s position on return of the land to the rightful owners is captured in our constitution preamble, objectives and subsequent adopted policies on land. There is therefore no contradiction in my views and those of Azapo in our desire to reconquer the land for fair and equitable distribution among Azanians.
It is indeed regrettable that it has taken this country 24 years to do a serious introspection on the expropriation and redistribution of the land.
Expropriation of land without compensation implies that the state will expropriate the land for public use or benefit only in cases where the “land owner(s)” do not want to cooperate with the state’s land redistribution and expropriation programme. I, therefore, choose to remain an optimistic man and believe that those who own massive tracts of land in this country that remains fallow will comply with the initiated constitutional and legal process that seek to allocate the land to the landless majority.
We must also be careful and not confine our land redistribution and expropriation programme for residential purposes only. We still need land for roads infrastructure, factories, agricultural, recreational, education, waste management plants, bulk infrastructure etc.
Whatever we do as part of the effort to redistribute and expropriate the land, with or without compensation, we must always be conscious of the fact that the land cannot be reproduced or multiplied; therefore, we must use it wisely for the benefit of future generations and focus less on short-term or selfish political gains.
The action to redistribute and/or expropriate land places the authority on the state and not individuals. In the process of expropriating land without compensation, it is going to be critical for the state to ensure that land is redistributed and transferred to bona fide South Africans. If the constitutional and legal process is not followed to the letter, we may find ourselves having to deal with land that is owned by some naturalised South Africans and foreign nationals in some places; and further perpetuating skewed land ownership as well as create some unintended tensions.
I sincerely believe that the governing party must take full responsibility for their failure to adequately address this emotional and sensitive land question for the past 24 years. The governing party’s failures do not in any way exonerate those who were part of the governing party for the past 24 years and make them any better – they were part of the same system that failed our people for the past 24 years and must take collective responsibility.
Any redistribution and expropriation of land in our country that promotes a mikhukhu mentality must be rejected as it is only meant to create more slums and create a political playground for celebrity politicians. This will not help us to restore the dignity of our people and complete the unfinished liberation struggle business; it will only perpetuate more squalor and disease.. Land has always been the basis of our liberation struggle. To restore the dignity of our people and complete the unfulfilled liberation promises, we need to take control of our economy and expedite return of the land to the landless majority.