55% land will be expropriated without compensation, says Malema

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Fifty-percent of South Africa’s land will be expropriated without compensation before the end of 2025 should the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) receive a majority at the 2024 polls. That’s according to the party’s leader, Julius Malema who says women should be at the centre of those who will benefit from the move.

The leader of the red berets says they will amend the Constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation. In 2021, the EFF and the Democratic Alliance (DA) rejected the Land Bill that proposed the expropriation of land without compensation only in certain circumstances.

Addressing members and supporters at the launch of the party’s election manifesto in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, Malema says the party remains steadfast in its quest to return the land to the country’s majority.

“We are going to take the land and we are not going to pay a cent. Whether they like it or not, the land will be returned in the hands of our people. We are going back to parliament to change section 25. The ANC hijacked this motion in parliament. Now when we get the majority, we are going back to re-table it again and amend the constitution. But the land will be given to all but the majority of this land will be given to women and young people.”

Creating jobs

The EFF leader says one of the party’s priorities will be to create jobs. Malema says this will be done through social housing and road infrastructure.

Malema estimates that this alone would create 4 million jobs. South Africa’s unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2023 was recorded at 32.9%  and is among the highest in the world.

The party’s theme for this election season is “Our land and jobs now. Stop loadshedding.”

“Comrades, we are going to create jobs and we don’t make an apology when we say we are going to create jobs for all South Africans irrespective of their qualification, irrespective of their age, irrespective of their background. These jobs are going to come from social housing and road infrastructure. Just from social housing and roads infrastructure alone, we are going to create 4 million jobs.”

EFF ELECTION MANIFESTO by SABC Digital News

Government tenders

Government tenders will be abolished under the EFF administration. This is according to Malema. Most corruption in government is often associated with state procurement process.

The collapse of several municipalities and the political killings in some provinces are also blamed on government’s tendering system. Malema says under his government, all services will be rendered by the state.

“Comrades, we are no longer having tenders under the EFF. There won’t be a cleaning tender, a security tender, gardening tender. There won’t be construction and maintenance tender, there won’t be consultants, there won’t be professional services, there won’t be banking services, there won’t be telephone and internet services. Why, all those sectors are going to be in-sourced and working for government.”

EFF launches its 2024 Elections Manifesto:

Additional Reporting Ntebo Mokobo