No going back – Malema
EFF anticipates backlash on the process of land expropriation
EFF leader Julius Malema says he is expecting the international community to react when the Constitution is amended to provide for the 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 said at 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 so-called killing of white farmers.
Trump’s announcement came months after civil society organisation Afriforum mobilised international support.
“I hope the Zuma group knows the consequences. We know the consequences.
“We know the first response will be killings. There is a group of white right-wingers who are trained by Jews in Pretoria to be snipers,” Malema said.
“We know the consequences of what we are asking for,” he said.
Malema also said the EFF was suspicious that the DA and the ANC camps aligned to President Cyril Ramaphosa had adopted the same strategy 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 here. 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 to explain himself about 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 added that the EFF welcomed the start of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, despite concerns about former auditor-general Terence Nombembe being on the team.
“We will leave everything in God’s hands. Anything is possible here. 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 added. Malema said the way Judge Raymond Zondo handled the EFF’s concern about Nombembe had aroused suspicion. “We have not come to a conclusion about Zondo, but, you know, we are very careful around him. Only time will tell.”
Malema said the EFF caucus in Tshwane would move ahead with a motion of no confidence in mayor Solly Msimanga.
“Solly as a person is a nice guy, but he is unable to deal with the white caucus of the DA,” he said.