S/Africa: ‘Seize white-owned land’, Malema tells supporters

By Agence de Presse Africaine Last updated Sep 17, 2021

APA-Johannesburg With South Africa’ s local government elections two months away, the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters has hit the campaign trail in Gauteng province where party leader Julius Maleman appealed to supporters“ to seize any piece of white-owned land they wanted”, APA learnt on Thursday. Addressing voters in Sedibeng, Malema spoke about…

APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) With South Africa’s local government elections two months away, the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters has hit the campaign trail in Gauteng province where party leader Julius Maleman appealed to supporters “to seize any piece of white-owned land they wanted”, APA learnt on Thursday.

Addressing voters in Sedibeng (Gauteng), Malema spoke about restoring the dignity of black voters following 27 years of African National Congress rule.

“We want to restore the dignity of black persons. The EFF is going to take this land. Even if we die today, the next generation will continue the struggle,” the EFF leader said.

He added: “And they must stop threatening us that white people will leave. They can leave if they want. There were black people here before Jan van Riebeck arrived in 1652.”

Van Riebeck is the Dutchman who first set up a camp in Cape Town on his way to the Far East, and in the end the settlement turned to be a permanent colony.

“Once you are sheepish and don’t know where you stand, whites will play with you,” he told the cheering supporters.

The 40-year-old EFF leader dismissed the current Covid-19 regulations – claiming that the decision to hold elections at this point “means lockdown laws are now useless.”

South Africans this weekend will flock to over 23,000 stations to register for the municipal elections which will be held on 1 November this year.

NM/jn/APA