Blacks must work and ‘buy back’ land – Euphonik

House DJ Themba Nkosi, popularly known as DJ Euphonik, has joined the debate on the question of land in South Africa.

Euphonik says that for “a sense of pride”, black people must “in the meantime” buy back the land.

“In the meantime we should be buying it back so you have a sense of pride. By giving it back it will land up in the same hands anyways,” he said during a debate on Twitter.

When asked “where do we get the money to buy back our land?”, the DJ responded by saying “you have hands and a functioning brain. Get up, work and be ahead of the game for when/if they give it [the land] back”.

“I hear all the arguments but in the meantime what must happen? What has moaning about it since ’94 achieved? Work and buy it back so long.”

One Twitter user by the name of Pablo argued that “the question of land is about restorative justice, if we say it was stolen we cannot buy it back!”

However, Euphonik responded by saying that black people should rather “skill up” because without skills, they would end up selling it back into white hands.

“In the meantime you better skill up because what are you going to do with it if and when you get it? You’ll sell it right back.”

Someone called Young Biko took the debate further by saying “when we talk about land we’re not talking about a few houses in Sandton. Now tell me can u afford a farm? Even if u can, how many of us can?”

“Are you a farmer? What will you do with a farm? Do you have the skill set to run a farm? Hence me saying you’ll sell it back,” responded Euphonik.

The question of land remains a big topic in South Africa today. There are ongoing debates about what is the best suitable way of reversing after-effects of the 1913 Natives’ Land Act, which prohibited black people to own land. Under the act, only about 7% and, later, 13% of arable land was allocated to Africans, while the rest was left for the ownership of whites.

Some political parties, most notably the EFF, are calling for land expropriation without compensation. This, according to the party, means that “that all land should be transferred to the ownership and custodianship of the state”. The land will then be be redistributed for a variety of purposes, such as farming and housing.

EFF leader Julius Malema last year called on members of the public to occupy any privately owned vacant land, “because it belongs to you”. He is now dealing with charges against him for allegedly breaking the law by making this call.