DA will stand alone against ‘coalition of populists’ on land if it has to - Maimane

DA Leader Mmusi Maimane says his party is ready to mount a lone fight against "a coalition of populists" between the ANC and the EFF on the issue of expropriation of land without compensation.

Maimane made the remarks while addressing a group of DA supporters outside the Friends of God church in the suburb of Goodwood in the north of Cape Town where Parliament's constitutional review committee is holding the last leg of public hearings on the land question.

Maimane said even if the EFF was threatening to vote it out of power in metro municipalities such as Nelson Mandela Bay‚ Johannesburg and Tshwane‚ the DA would not be bullied into supporting changes to section 25 of the Constitution to allow for expropriation of land without compensation.

The ANC has resolved to table amendments to section 25 of the Constitution in Parliament‚ which will require a two-thirds majority vote to pass and the EFF indicated that it will lend the ANC the necessary support required.

He said the DA remained convinced that section 25 of the Constitution‚ as it currently stands‚ does not prevent government from expropriating any land in the public interest.

"This is going to be long journey‚ they are going to bring it to Parliament. And in Parliament‚ I am telling you today‚ we're going to vote against them‚" said Maimane.

"You know Helen Suzman stood alone against the apartheid government‚ if we have to stand alone in the opposition against this coalition of populists‚ we will stand alone."

Maimane claimed that the ANC and the EFF were creating a situation where citizens would now expect to get "everything for free" courtesy of the state. "They are going to be promising heaven and earth come next year. It's going to be everything for free‚ you understand me? EFF‚ everything for free…they are going to say land for free.

"The policy unit of the ANC is the EFF. Imagine‚ a whole party of 104 years led by a five-year-old‚ how can that be? One is in nappies the other one is a senior citizen‚ they are misleading each other.

"They end up with a president who stands on TV and starts to talk nonsense."