PAC, Azapo ‘willing to collaborate’ with ANC on land issue

The ruling ANC has come up with a new strategy to fast-track the redistribution of land to the black majority by involving other liberation movement organisations outside of government.

The move was warmly welcomed by the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) on Monday.

Both the PAC and Azapo said they were prepared to talk to the ANC and collaborate with it on the land question.

Following its three-day national executive committee meeting (NEC) in Irene, east of Pretoria, at the weekend, the ANC resolved to accelerate the land redistribution, but within the existing legislative framework.

The ANC’s latest stance is a toned down version from the radical one announced by President Jacob Zuma in his January 8 party statement – that land would be expropriated without compensation.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told journalists on Monday that the party would endeavour to unite the liberation movement around the land issue.

As one of the steps to fast-track land redistribution, the ANC would convene a special NEC meeting to focus on land and to clarify itself on what should be done to strengthen its policy framework.

“Achieving this will require that, amongst others, we endeavour to unite the former liberation movements and the dispossessed black majority, to whom the resolution of the land question is central to their existence,” Mantashe said.

On Monday, PAC national spokesperson Kenneth Mokgatlhe said the party welcomed Mantashe’s announcement. He said this augured well for the majority, who had been landless and excluded from the economy for so many years.

“We are prepared to work with anyone as long as they seek to benefit an African child,” said Mokgatlhe.

“We are not pleased with the current living conditions of our people.

“We want to see the land returning to the hands of the African majority from white minority hands, who have greedily monopolised ownership of the land.”

He said it was good that the ANC was now sober after 58 years since the PAC decided to leave them, because they were prepared to sell the land to their friends, a move that the PAC rejected.

He said the ANC stance was a vindication of the PAC, which always contended that the land was the wealth of the population.

Azapo president Prof Itumeleng Mosala said the ANC’s idea of unifying liberation movements around the land question was “absolutely welcome”.

“We will work with them, we are open to that.

“In fact, I discussed this matter with Mantashe briefly. As Azapo, we will collaborate in fundamental issues affecting our people, such as the economy and the land question,” Mosala said.

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