Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema gestures before his address to supporters at the EFF manifesto launch at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban on February 10, 2024. Photo by RAJESH JANTILAL / AFP
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has warned that if they win the elections they will shake-up the state and implement a number of policies.
He said while the ANC had hijacked the Section 25 motion, which was rejected by Parliament in 2021 they will bring it back on the agenda of the national legislature.
The ANC failed to get the required two-thirds majority to get the Bill through in parliament. The bill would have allowed for the amendment of the Constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.
Malema was on Saturday launching the manifesto of his party in Durban ahead of the elections.
He said land was still part of the EFF’s policy.
“The theme and clarion call for 2024 is as outlined. The emphasis on land derives from the fact that 30 years down the line 80% of the land is in the hands of the whites.
“What is our commitment? 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 and anyone who thinks he sounds intellectually superior when he says section 25 allows us to take the land without compensation now, why are you worried when we make it explicit so that there is no debate about it. The ANC hijacked this motion in parliament., When we get the majority we are going back to re-table it and amend the constitution,” said Malema.
Other than addressing the land question, the EFF still wants to nationalise the mines and the South African Reserve Bank.
The EFF has been pushing for this policy for many years.
He said their manifesto also deals with the introduction of the wealth tax to subsidise the indigent.
He described 1994 as a missed opportunity as people are still without water,, sanitation, electricity, jobs, access to healthcare and no proper roads.
He said crime was rampant in the country with criminals taking control of the streets.
In the latest crime statistics of the South African Police Service it showed while there were 17,000 people who were killed in 2010, a total of 27,000 people were killed last year.
Crime was rife in the country and there is an increase in gender-based violence as well, said Malema.
This is one of the major issues they need to deal with.
In one of the major policy shifts Malema said they want the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to be a Chapter 9 institution and this would allow parliament to appoint the National Director of Public Prosecutions.
Currently, the law calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint the NDPP as it has happened with all previous presidents.
The head of the NPA, Shamila Batohi, was interviewed by a panel that recommended her to Ramaphosa for appointment. This was after Ramaphosa decided to get the panel to select the NDPP to succeed Shaun Abrahams.
Malema also wants the State Security Agency to be protected from internal factions that have plagued it in the past few years.
The General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill is currently before parliament as part of the recommendations of the Sydney Mufamadi and Prof. Sandy Africa reports to overhaul the intelligence agencies.
The bill calls for the de-establishment of the SSA and that a domestic branch and foreign branch be formed.
Malema also reiterated his past comments that the party will do away with the tender system. This is intended to eliminate corruption in procurement.
“Comrades, we are not going to have tenders. Under the EFF there won’t be a cleaning tender, a security tender, a landscaping tender, a construction and maintenance tender, consultancy, professional services, banking, telephone and internet services tenders. Why? All those sectors are going to be in-sourced and work for government,” said Malema.
The EFF leader also spoke out against load shedding and said it must stop.
He said it has destroyed businesses and many people have lost their jobs
He said they still want to increase their support nationally after their performance in the previous elections.
In the 2019 national and provincial elections, the EFF got more than 350,000 votes in KwaZulu-Natal.
He said between 2016 and 2021 local government elections they increased the number of their councillors from 68 to 168 in KwaZulu-Natal.
At national level the EFF has a total of 1,200 councillors in all municipalities.
They were in coalition with the ANC in several municipalities and metros, including eThekwini, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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