Land issue must be resolved within the law and constitution‚ says Zuma

President Jacob Zuma believes the question of land in South Africa must be resolved within the realm of the country's laws and constitution.

Zuma tackled the controversial land issue during his address at a Youth Day celebration in Hammarsdale outside Durban on Sunday.

“The land question is very much related to the economy. The day there was dispossession of land‚ that’s the day poverty began‚ that’s the day inequality began‚ that’s the day unemployment began.”

Zuma said it was "more than correct" to apply policies that are “radical‚ revolutionary and changing the status quo economically”.

“No one will do it for us but ourselves.”

“The land question is a critical question. We must resolve that question within the law‚ within the constitution.

“If the law is not enough‚ let us take it to the point. If the constitution is not enough‚ let us take the constitution to the point.”

Zuma‚ who was buoyed by the warm welcome he received from the young crowd‚ said he was not done with his fight for liberating poor‚ Black South Africans.

The strong show of support was in stark contrast to the cold reception he received at a Youth Day celebration in Ventersdorp in North West province on Friday‚ where a group of students chanted “Zuma must fall”.

Despite mounting pressure for him to step down‚ an unfazed Zuma laughed and joked with his attentive audience.

He told the crowd of a few thousand youths‚ who were bussed in from different parts of Durban‚ that he had joined the struggle to fight against Black poverty.

He encouraged the youth to study and to fight for radical economic transformation.

“I’m very clear that political freedom without economic freedom is not a complete freedom. That’s my view and I think my view is correct.”

During her address earlier‚ Durban mayor Zandile Gumede‚ attempted to woo the youth by turning her attention to issues affecting them‚ including high data costs‚ student accommodation and joblessness.

She announced that Durban is set to become a more wifi friendly city.

Gumede said the city planned to increase its wifi hotspots from about 77 to 250 throughout the city.

“We want to have wifi in our libraries‚ schools and clinics... to respond to the needs of our youth‚” said Gumede.

She also revealed the city would erect a statue of struggle veteran Oliver Tambo in front of the city hall.

There were also plans to change the municipality’s logo‚ but she didn’t provide specifics.

“Durban needs a new identity‚” she said.

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