Some African National Congress leaders have broken ranks to criticise the party’s decision to vote against an Economic Freedom Fighters motion on land expropriation in Parliament.
The ANC Women’s League‚ former Western Cape chairman Marius Fransman and national executive committee member Tony Yengeni all spoke out on Wednesday after the party refused to support EFF leader Julius Malema’s call to change the constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation.
An amendment to the constitution needs a two-thirds majority‚ which would have been achieved if the ANC had voted with the EFF on Tuesday.
The motion followed President Jacob Zuma’s call in his state of the nation address for radical economic transformation‚ including land reform. Malema criticised the ANC after the vote‚ saying it never implemented its promises.
ANCWL secretary Meokgo Matuba issued a statement saying land redistribution was an ANC programme and it should be implemented without fear or favour.
“Unless persuaded otherwise‚ the ANCWL will ... seek to persuade the ANC to consider reviewing the decision of the caucus on the issue of land‚” said Matuba.
On Twitter‚ Yengeni said: “Can an ANC MP slowly explain why African MPs failed to unite around a common position on land expropriation without compensation yesterday?”
He said he would sponsor a motion on land at the party’s policy conference later this year‚ saying “the masses” were crying for land.
Fransman said the ANC had missed an opportunity. “Let’s mobilise and call on ANC in parliament to review the position taken yesterday‚” he said in a statement.
“Let’s put petty issues aside with other parties and agree on a mechanism ... including constitutional amendment.”
Party spokesman Zizi Kodwa said section 25 of the constitution already empowered the state to expropriate land. “What the state has not done‚ [it] has not tested that clause in a court of law in order to fast-track transfer of land‚” he said.
- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
ANC bigwigs criticise MPs for missing chance to back Malema land grab
Some African National Congress leaders have broken ranks to criticise the party’s decision to vote against an Economic Freedom Fighters motion on land expropriation in Parliament.
The ANC Women’s League‚ former Western Cape chairman Marius Fransman and national executive committee member Tony Yengeni all spoke out on Wednesday after the party refused to support EFF leader Julius Malema’s call to change the constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation.
An amendment to the constitution needs a two-thirds majority‚ which would have been achieved if the ANC had voted with the EFF on Tuesday.
The motion followed President Jacob Zuma’s call in his state of the nation address for radical economic transformation‚ including land reform. Malema criticised the ANC after the vote‚ saying it never implemented its promises.
ANCWL secretary Meokgo Matuba issued a statement saying land redistribution was an ANC programme and it should be implemented without fear or favour.
“Unless persuaded otherwise‚ the ANCWL will ... seek to persuade the ANC to consider reviewing the decision of the caucus on the issue of land‚” said Matuba.
On Twitter‚ Yengeni said: “Can an ANC MP slowly explain why African MPs failed to unite around a common position on land expropriation without compensation yesterday?”
He said he would sponsor a motion on land at the party’s policy conference later this year‚ saying “the masses” were crying for land.
Fransman said the ANC had missed an opportunity. “Let’s mobilise and call on ANC in parliament to review the position taken yesterday‚” he said in a statement.
“Let’s put petty issues aside with other parties and agree on a mechanism ... including constitutional amendment.”
Party spokesman Zizi Kodwa said section 25 of the constitution already empowered the state to expropriate land. “What the state has not done‚ [it] has not tested that clause in a court of law in order to fast-track transfer of land‚” he said.
- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
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