No Heritage Without Land: EFF


By Oliver Ngwenya    25-Sep-2014 07:45 UTC+02:00

In their Heritage day message on Wednesday, the Economic Freedom Fighters has called for the redistribution of land to those without, particularly the local black majority.

Speaking in Johannesburg, the EFF’s spokesperson, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said in his party’s statement that land was the greatest form of heritage that could be given to the local people adding that it was imperative therefore that the land that was so forcefully taken away be redistributed. He added that until all land was redistributed, people were like visitors in their own country. His statement emphasized that, without land, all culture and art were susceptible to doom, waste and extinction. He said, with this in mind, his party was calling for the equal redistribution of land through expropriation without compensation.

The Economic Freedom Fighters have come under fire from the economic community particularly those in the farming community for their call to redistribute land. Many critics of this land reform have warned that this will lead to the same economic ruin that has befallen neighboring Zimbabwe after a similar bid to redistribute land. Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson recently warned the EFF that action would be taken against anyone who occupied farms or agricultural land illegally. Malema and his command have, however been adamant in their call for land to be redistributed to the landless masses. They have counter argued that the land reform in Zimbabwe was not started by President Mugabe but by the masses. The president, they contend, only chose the side of the people.

In his Heritage Day statement, Ndlozi also called for the recognition of Nama as one of the official languages in South Africa. Nama is the language that is spoken by Khoi and San people of the Kalahari, the early inhabitants of the land now regarded as South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. He called for an end to the continued marginalization of the languages of the local people in education.


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