Land expropriation moves a step forward, but the EFF aren’t happy…

You’d think the government taking a huge step towards one of the EFF’s flagship policies would give the Red Berets a reason to be cheerful heading into the new year. But alas, they have issued a statement on Tuesday, chastising the ANC for the manner in which they have progressed the issue of land expropriation without compensation.

Land expropriation without compensation – what will happen in 2020?

In a landmark move, the government have officially opened up the proposal to public comments. These will be taken into consideration before any laws to redistribute land are set in stone. The ANC are targeting the end of March for their first phase of legal expropriation – but they’ve since been accused of trying to sweep this one under the rug.

The website designed specifically for the submission of public comments was launched with very little fanfare during the festive period. However, it hasn’t escaped the attentions of the EFF. They have drawn attention to the newly-established site, and implored all of their followers to state the case for land expropriation without compensation – slamming the silence that accompanied this unveiling:

“The EFF note that Parliament have published the Land Expropriation Bill in the Government Gazette, ready for public comment. This was done with no adequate publicity, and even worse, it was done just before Christmas… This will be the historic victory we all need as a country for true decolonisation.”

“We call on all South Africans to share the bill far and wide, to ensure it gets maximum reach and awareness. The principle is simple: The Constitution must be amended to include a clause that land must be expropriated without compensation.”

EFF statement

The website which is taking public submissions is nothing fancy, and it’s quite easy to share your comments. The government are aiming to acquire more than a million entries in the next 31 days, yet early indications show that the move to redistribute land with no financial reward for the occupiers has drawn a largely negative response.

As of 13:30 on Tuesday afternoon, around 85% of contributors have declared that they “do not support” the policy. Only a few thousand people have expressed their support for land expropriation, and this is why the EFF have a bee in their bonnet – they are hoping to turn the tide of public sentiment throughout January.

• You can read the full EFF statement here:

[ALERT]: Draft Land Expropriation Constitutional Amendment Bill Has Been Published Without Adequate Publicity By Parliament.

Here is the link, have your say; https://t.co/QOkpft2MYR pic.twitter.com/of4hmFrtEL

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) December 31, 2019