EFF accuses AfriForum of being a front for DA, Cope, ACDP, and FF+

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have released a statement welcoming the decision of the Western Cape High Court earlier on Friday to dismiss minority lobby group AfriForum’s urgent application for an interdict.

The interdict sought to stop parliament from adopting a report recommending the Constitution should be altered to allow for land expropriation without compensation.

The EFF, unsurprisingly, welcomed the decision to dismiss what they called a “frivolous” application.

READ MORE: AfriForum’s case against parliament’s land expropriation report dismissed

More surprising is that the party alleged that AfriForum’s application was really lodged on behalf of a group of opposition parties – DA, Cope, FF+, and ACDP.

According to the party, this was “no secret”.

The statement does not elaborate except to say those parties had “already threatened court action during committee discussions”.

“People must not abuse courts of law, simply because they lose democratic debates,” the statement continues.

The statement ends with the party saying it was “pleased” that its motion to amend the constitution has passed and will result in land expropriation without compensation becoming a reality.

Moneyweb reported earlier on Friday that Lewis Nzimande, co-chair of the constitutional review committee, said the report, just one step in a long process to change the constitution, will probably be debated in both houses of parliament on December 4.

This explains the EFF’s assertion in their statement that parliament will “sit” to adopt the report on that date, although in all likelihood the party’s celebrations may be premature, as the debate mentioned by Nzimande will just be the next step in what Moneyweb describes as the long process towards changing section 25.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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