Demonopolise land – Mbalula

ANC election head Fikile Mbalula says the ANC does not plan to nationalise land. They plan to “demonopolise” it.

Mbalula was in Centurion yesterday to meet the AgriSA constituency. This is part of the ANC’s ongoing Thuma Mina campaign to engage sectors of society on issues of national importance.

Land redistribution means a bigger economy, according to Mbalula.

“The ANC does not and will never subscribe to land-grabbing in South Africa. We are orderly and we are organised in what we do,” Mbalula said.

He urged the agriculture sector to step up as they were a factor contributing to the current recession.

“One thing that is not going to happen is to nationalise land. We are not in support of government controlling lives. Land will be demonopolised. Land ownership will be made to be constitutional.

“All must have dignity. Land ownership gives this dignity,” he said. “Land gives each citizen ownership of one’s land, not just citizenship by vote only.

“Land distribution is a national security imperative.

“It gives ownership and responsibility to all of us. All South Africans must feel like South Africans. Land ownership does exactly that.”

Mbalula said South Africa must build a nation with something to be proud of, where all citizens are treated equally.

“We cannot do land redistribution without all stakeholders participating. We want to assure our people – black and white – this will happen … in an orderly fashion.”

He urged for discussion on land expropriation without compensation to begin.

“We have been here since 1994, not by luck because there were no holy cows. Every aspect of what we were confronted with, we were able to negotiate and arrive at this particular point.”

Mbalula said although many nations were still bleeding in terms of “their internal strife, wars and so on”, South Africa prided itself on knowing that nothing was impossible.

In a joint statement, the ANC and AgriSA said the engagement was of “immeasurable value”, with Agri SA President Dan Kriek saying they were optimistic about the future of a sustainable agriculture sector.

“I feel that the ANC heard our concerns and will take them into consideration for the path ahead”, Kriek said.

The statement said “Agri SA remains against any amendment to section 25 of the Constitution. Agri SA believes section 25 as it currently stands provides the state with the necessary legislative powers to ensure that land reform takes place in an orderly way and according to prescribed processes”.”