We wanted to occupy Steyn City, but shack dwellers told us no, admits Malema

EFF leader Julius Malema in an interview with Tbo Touch on his online station Touch HD mentioned that the EFF’s plan to “occupy” Steyn City in Gauteng did not go quite as planned.

The development is owned by billionaire Douw Steyn, who also lives in an elaborate mansion in the Steyn City outside Johannesburg.

Launching into a discussion about one of his party’s most contentious issues, Malema admitted that the matter of occupying land simply because it is “occupied” by white people, is not always straightforward.

“When we heard there’s a white man who owns a huge piece of land who’s named a city after himself next to Diepsloot, we told the people we should go and occupy that land.

But he had to “retreat”. The people of Diepsloot told him that Steyn was creating employment, investing in schools and involved in the community.

“I had to make a retreat because the masses said ‘not this man’.

“We are saying let the land be returned to rightful owners. And the rightful owners will say no, he is part of us and we can work with him.

“There can be a legislative programme because landlessness creates economic inequality. The struggle was about the land, not blue light cars and air-conditioned offices. Everybody, including the reactionary DA, is talking land. What is the most practical way to redistribute the land to people. Any party not talking land redistribution will be irrelevant.”

Apparently, Steyn had earned the respect of the surrounding black community.

However, the issue of reparation and land expropriation remains high on Malema’s agenda, though he says he’s aware that those saying they will just go and take Johann Rupert’s land may be slightly optimistic.

“Good luck to them.”

Nevertheless, thanks to the EFF, talking about land was now becoming “fashionable”. He mentioned a number of celebs, including Khanyi Mbau, who were talking about the issue.

He had earlier told Tbo Touch that he had been quiet because he was witnessing the destruction of the ANC, and did not want to “interrupt them” since they were busy doing something very important so that a new political leadership could come to the fore and take charge in South Africa.