Newly appointed Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi emerged from the Union Buildings on Friday to accept a memorandum from the ANC Youth League’s leadership.
The ANC Youth League called on government to amend the Constitution to allow land claims without compensation.
ANCYL deputy president Ronald Lamola read out a memorandum of demands at the Union Buildings in Pretoria at the culmination of the league’s “economic freedom” march.
The league demanded the amendment of section 25 of the Constitution which protects private property against arbitrary expropriation and allows for compensation.
Other demands were:
- The league’s memorandum said all productive land should be nationalised and leased, and neighbourhoods electrified.
- A state bank must be established and foreign policy must be changed to isolate countries that threaten South Africa’s sovereignty.
- Labour brokers must be banned and all vacant government posts be filled.
- A fund must be established to send 10,000 students to the best universities.
When Nxesi - a former secretary-general of the SA Democratic Teachers Union - came out to accept the memoradum, ANC youth league leader Julius Malema said he was pleased.
“We have a minister. We always get what we want. We are not a Mickey Mouse organisation. We are a serious organisation,” Malema said.
“The minister knows these demands very well. He used to be one on the street fighting this.
“He will take this to the executive and will explain it better because he is from a working class background.”
Earlier, Malema demanded that only a member of the Cabinet accept their memorandum on “economic freedom”.
“We don’t want a DG [director-general]. We didn’t vote for a DG but a politician. If you are not a minister don’t waste our time,” Malema said to loud cheers.
Malema said if a minister did not accept the memorandum, marchers would go back home and come back another time. This led to a roar of “no, no, no,” from the crowd.
Nxesi promised to take the document to the “relevant structures” of government for a response in due course.
“This memorandum is very positive because it raises issues we are currently talking about at government level,” Nxesi told the crowd.
These issues included unemployment and poverty, he said. “Not long ago I was also on the street as well marching for economic freedom, improvement of the economy and the creation of jobs and I know exactly how it feels to demand better conditions ...” he said.
Nxesi thanked the league for having marched peacefully.
“I wish other stakeholders can learn from you when they voice their grievances.”
ANCYL president Julius Malema told reporters afterwards that he had marched for 35km.
He walked with a limp on Friday as marchers made their way from the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria to the Union Buildings.
Estimates of how many people joined the two-day march that began in the Johannesburg CBD on Thursday ranged from 2,000 to 10,000.
“People say the numbers are too small,” Malema said.
“Those people who say that can’t even organise 20 people for a birthday. Thank you all. Numbers stand at 25,000 people.”
Malema added: “We are not fighting government, we want more. We want job creation to be doubled.
“You cannot compare our government to the government of Egypt and Tunisia. If you march it doesn’t mean you don’t love the ANC.”
Earlier, at the Union Buildings, a song leader sang “Kgalema’s my president”, referring to Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.
Some of the placards carried read: “Black on black apartheid”, “greed-based corruption” and “yes we don’t want Zuma and Gwede”, referring to President Jacob Zuma and ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.
Supporters of the march mostly walked from Johannesburg on Thursday to create awareness of youth unemployment.
Malema walked part of the 50km trip. He handed over a memorandum of grievances to the Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg’s city centre on Thursday, before marching to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in Sandton. The walk from Sandton to Tshwane, along the R101 Old Pretoria Road, took eight hours.
Newly appointed Minister comes to collect Malema demand
Newly appointed Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi emerged from the Union Buildings on Friday to accept a memorandum from the ANC Youth League’s leadership.
The ANC Youth League called on government to amend the Constitution to allow land claims without compensation.
ANCYL deputy president Ronald Lamola read out a memorandum of demands at the Union Buildings in Pretoria at the culmination of the league’s “economic freedom” march.
The league demanded the amendment of section 25 of the Constitution which protects private property against arbitrary expropriation and allows for compensation.
Other demands were:
- The league’s memorandum said all productive land should be nationalised and leased, and neighbourhoods electrified.
- A state bank must be established and foreign policy must be changed to isolate countries that threaten South Africa’s sovereignty.
- Labour brokers must be banned and all vacant government posts be filled.
- A fund must be established to send 10,000 students to the best universities.
When Nxesi - a former secretary-general of the SA Democratic Teachers Union - came out to accept the memoradum, ANC youth league leader Julius Malema said he was pleased.
“We have a minister. We always get what we want. We are not a Mickey Mouse organisation. We are a serious organisation,” Malema said.
“The minister knows these demands very well. He used to be one on the street fighting this.
“He will take this to the executive and will explain it better because he is from a working class background.”
Earlier, Malema demanded that only a member of the Cabinet accept their memorandum on “economic freedom”.
“We don’t want a DG [director-general]. We didn’t vote for a DG but a politician. If you are not a minister don’t waste our time,” Malema said to loud cheers.
Malema said if a minister did not accept the memorandum, marchers would go back home and come back another time. This led to a roar of “no, no, no,” from the crowd.
Nxesi promised to take the document to the “relevant structures” of government for a response in due course.
“This memorandum is very positive because it raises issues we are currently talking about at government level,” Nxesi told the crowd.
These issues included unemployment and poverty, he said. “Not long ago I was also on the street as well marching for economic freedom, improvement of the economy and the creation of jobs and I know exactly how it feels to demand better conditions ...” he said.
Nxesi thanked the league for having marched peacefully.
“I wish other stakeholders can learn from you when they voice their grievances.”
ANCYL president Julius Malema told reporters afterwards that he had marched for 35km.
He walked with a limp on Friday as marchers made their way from the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria to the Union Buildings.
Estimates of how many people joined the two-day march that began in the Johannesburg CBD on Thursday ranged from 2,000 to 10,000.
“People say the numbers are too small,” Malema said.
“Those people who say that can’t even organise 20 people for a birthday. Thank you all. Numbers stand at 25,000 people.”
Malema added: “We are not fighting government, we want more. We want job creation to be doubled.
“You cannot compare our government to the government of Egypt and Tunisia. If you march it doesn’t mean you don’t love the ANC.”
Earlier, at the Union Buildings, a song leader sang “Kgalema’s my president”, referring to Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.
Some of the placards carried read: “Black on black apartheid”, “greed-based corruption” and “yes we don’t want Zuma and Gwede”, referring to President Jacob Zuma and ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.
Supporters of the march mostly walked from Johannesburg on Thursday to create awareness of youth unemployment.
Malema walked part of the 50km trip. He handed over a memorandum of grievances to the Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg’s city centre on Thursday, before marching to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in Sandton. The walk from Sandton to Tshwane, along the R101 Old Pretoria Road, took eight hours.
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