ANC’s Andile Lungisa: Change, or next year we’ll take the land by force

Controversial Nelson Mandela Bay ANC councillor Andile Lungisa tweeted on Saturday that his Youth Day wish was that the constitution should either be changed to allow for land expropriation without compensation, or by this time next year “they” would take land back by force.

“My commitment to June 16 Generation is very simple, if we fail to take land by constitutional means this year by this time next year will use force to take what belongs to Africans.”

Lungisa, 40, was released from prison on bail of R10 000 late last month after serving just 16 days of his two-year sentence for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

He is petitioning the High Court in Grahamstown for leave to appeal both his conviction and sentence for intentionally smashing a glass jug over the head of former mayoral committee member for transport Rano Kayser during a chaotic 2016 Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting.

Kayser sustained lacerations to his head and neck. A deep gash to his left temple required stitches.

Lungisa has maintained that he did not intend to assault Kayser and believed he was in fact under attack at the meeting and had been defending himself.

Magistrate Morne Cannon found that Lungisa was a poor witness who “tailored his version as the trial proceeded”, was vague, evasive and contradicted himself during the trial.

Lungisa continued to court controversy on Saturday with his tweet.

It’s unclear what he meant by taking with “force”, though presumably it would be a repeat of the kind of farm occupations that occurred in Zimbabwe in the late 1990s. His position is contrary to the official position of the ANC on land expropriation without compensation, which the party has repeatedly reassured the country will be approached conservatively.

At its 54th national conference in December, the ANC adopted a resolution to expropriate land without compensation, but with the caveat that this should not affect food security or the economy as a whole.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has told investors that land reform under him will actually enhance the country’s economic capacity and improve its attractiveness as an investment destination, though he has remained vague on the specifics of how this will happen.

My commitment to June 16 Generation is very simple, if we fail to take land by constitutional means this year by this time next year will use force to take what belongs to Africans. pic.twitter.com/f9KpNSNhDw

— Andile Lungisa (@mrlungisa) June 16, 2018

When called for comment, Lungisa’s phone rang unanswered.

On Thursday, Lungisa also posted a photo of himself with Black First Land First leader Andile Mngxitama, who also promotes highly radical solutions to land reform.

Ours is seriousness about the return of our stolen land by settlers. pic.twitter.com/OjbJmuICi5

— Andile Lungisa (@mrlungisa) June 14, 2018