EFF president Julius Malema’s assertions on land expropriation without compensation have come back to haunt him after his adversary, Andile Mngxitama, has taken full advantage of them.
The Black First Land First (BLF) leader has launched yet another attack on the red berets leader, labelling him a sellout, saying that he lied about land expropriation and keeps misleading EFF followers.
Mngxitama, a former EFF MP who later formed the BLF, on Sunday called out his old rival on a reissue of an episode of his podcast series.
The two foes had a fallout in 2015 after Mngxitama accused Malema and his deputy, Floyd Shivambu, of having made a deal with the ANC to get rid of some of EFF MPs, including him.
He also accused the two of misappropriating party funds. He was expelled from the EFF and lost his parliamentary membership, paving the way for him to form the BLF in the same year.
Over the years, the two have been taking swipes at each other with Malema saying Mngxitama had been captured by the ANC.
In the latest round, Mngxitama accused Malema and the EFF of changing their position on land expropriation.
Mngxitama said: “If you look into their founding manifesto, that principle, that cardinal pillar of land expropriation without compensation, has now been amended to read land expropriation without compensation ‘in use’.
“They have added ‘in use’ that provides for this selling our position where he was able to say to white farmers in 2015 that EFF is not interested in expropriating land which is productively used.”
He challenged his listeners to find a clip where Malema was addressing farmers in Paarl, Western Cape, years ago where he was heard saying that land that was idling and was abandoned should be the only land that was expropriated.
Malema says in the clip: “EFF believes that we need the most effective mechanism to redistribute the land into the hands of all South Africans … and what do we mean by that is that government must be the custodian of the land and the land that is abandoned and is idling should be expropriated to the benefit of all.
“As long as that land is expropriated for public purpose and public interest then it must be given a go ahead … so if there is a farm, a farm which is productive and we know that that land is used for agricultural purpose, we don’t have to interfere with the production of that piece of land … we ought to protect it.”
This triggered Mngxitama’s assertions that Malema was selling out his own supporters.
“Julius said to these white farmers that they should not worry because the aim was not to take their land but only want the land that the white farmers don’t want … that is reflected in the policy of the EFF where they say land expropriation without compensation in use … so when land is in use it will not be expropriated,” Mngxitama said.
He said Malema was saying to the white farmers at that meeting that he was guaranteeing them that the EFF had no intention of taking any land that was in use, but only wanted to take abandoned and rejected land.
“When he comes out and he talks to black people in those massive rallies, bewitching rallies, he talks about the black child taking back the land and redistributing it, but when he speaks to white people who are landowners, he guarantees them that land will not be taken away from them,” Mngxitama said on his podcast.
Efforts to reach Malema were fruitless as his phone was off. EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo did not respond to texts sent to him.
The Star