Not just rural land to be expropriated, says Zikalala

Sihle Zikalala took to the microphone to confirm that the endgame behind the ANC's new land policy would be the expropriation of commercial land.

Sihle Zikalala. Picture: Muzi Zincume

Speaking at a land summit held by the ANC at Durban’s Coastlands Hotel, coordinator of the KZN land task team, Sihle Zikalala, said the primary focus of land expropriation was on commercial land.

“We have always been clear. We want expropriation without compensation. We have been saying that since [the ANC’s June policy conference]. But we want commercial land to economically assist black people in particular,” Zikalala said at the summit on Monday.

The summit saw KZN’s regional ANC party members try to work out how the issue of expropriation without compensation would work in practice.

Zikalala took to the microphone to speak out against what he saw as “media hype” and “posturing” on the issue, and confirmed the endgame behind expropriation would be the acquisition of land that would be used commercially.

“We want commercial land especially because of economic reasons,” he said.

“It is not about rural land and land in township areas. Land used must be used for commercial production. That land must be transferred to the Africans.”

Zikalala also took the opportunity to dispel claims that the expropriation issue would affect King Goodwill Zwelithini and the Ingonyama trust.

“That is what we want to pursue, nothing else. We have been very clear in this issue. Those saying we want to take the land from the Ingonyama Trust are wrong. We have a good respectful relationship with the king.”

This statement seems to be in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s attempts to do damage control and assure the king that his land is safe.

The Citizen reported on Saturday that the ANC had shared a video of President Cyril Ramaphosa explaining that part of his Thuma Mina election campaign trip to KwaZulu-Natal had involved a meeting with Zwelithini to reassure him he needed not leave South Africa and set up his own Zulu homeland with his people.

Ramaphosa said he met with Zwelithini on Friday night to discuss a “range of issues”, primarily that neither the ANC nor government wished to take the Ingonyama Trust land.

Analysts have said the EFF has cosied up to traditional leaders after sensing an opportunity to win their support in the wake of unhappiness with the ANC. The EFF and Contralesa (traditional leaders’ national organisation) held a joint press conference on Thursday to announce that they shared the view that land should be expropriated without compensation, though Contralesa insisted the EFF should concentrate only on “white-owned land” that was allegedly stolen.

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