Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma aren't solutions to SA's land expropriation: Malema

06 July 2017 - 13:25 By Neo Goba
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Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema. File photo.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images / Foto24 / Denzil Maregele

Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and former African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma are not the solutions to the country's problems around land reform.

This was a remark made by Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema‚ who was invited to a Rand Merchant Bank event on Thursday to speak about economic growth versus redistribution.

"I don't think there's any willingness to work with Ramaphosa or [Dlamini-Zuma] because they are all the same‚ they come from a rotten organisation and the problem is not the individual‚ it's the organisation ... If there was an organisation‚ [President Jacob] Zuma wouldn't be doing what he is doing‚" said Malema.

He was responding to a question on whether the EFF would be willing to forge a working relationship with the two presidential candidates to execute changes in the South African constitution for land reform.

Malema said neither Ramaphosa or Dlamini-Zuma would be his preference.

"You must avoid subscribing to politics of personality culture and think that Ramaphosa will be better than Zuma when they are from the same organisation. Ramaphosa was there when everything else Zuma did happened and he didn't do anything. The only time he starts raising his hand is when he wants to become the president.

"Leave the ex-wife because the ex-wife is the part of that arrangement‚ she's not even hiding it. She wants to continue with the legacy of Gupta state‚ tribalism‚ failed state-owned institutions and collapsing law enforcement institutions‚" added Malema.

The red berets leader said the only way the constitution can be amended is if opposition parties work together through a coalition government because "no one works with arrogance".

Dlamini-Zuma is the ex-wife of the president.

During Zuma's closing remarks at the party's six-day national policy conference on Wednesday‚ he said the party had robust discussions on the imperative to accelerate land redistribution in South Africa.

Malema has in the past criticised the ANC's refusal to establish a parliamentary committee to investigate issues relating to land expropriation‚ accusing them of hypocrisy.

In February‚ the EFF tabled a motion in parliament calling on parties to agree to review constitutional provisions on land expropriation.

At the time‚ opposition parties in the National Assembly said they could not agree to the EFF's ultimate goal of expropriating land without compensation.

- TimesLIVE

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