The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has made it clear that his party will not back down from its stance on land expropriation without compensation.
Speaking at the EFF’s Land Reclamation Day event at Sophiatown Extreme Park in Johannesburg, Malema emphasized the party’s ongoing fight to reclaim land stolen from their ancestors.
The Long History of Land Dispossession
Malema reminded the crowd that the struggle for land rights began as far back as 1652, marking the start of a long history of dispossession.
He explained, “We are here to claim the land that was stolen from our ancestors.
This fight is about finishing the work of those who were displaced and buried without a voice. We are here to take back the land, without fear of compensation.”
The Beginning of Dispossession, Not History
According to Malema, the year 1652 does not represent the beginning of South Africa’s history but the beginning of a dark chapter: the era of dispossession.
“The 6th of April 1652, Fighters, is the year when the European colonial project started on the southern tip of Africa.
It is not the start of our history—it is the beginning of dispossession,” he said passionately.
Dutch Settlers and the Displacement of Indigenous Peoples
Malema went on to outline the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck, the Dutch colonialist sent by the Dutch East India Company to the Cape in 1652. “He didn’t come as a tourist. He didn’t come as a refugee.
He came as an agent of European imperialism, there to secure land, labor, and resources to sustain the Dutch Empire’s maritime trade,” he said.
What started as a simple trading post soon expanded into a full-fledged colony.
He explained that the Khoi and San people were among the first to face displacement.
“The Dutch settlers, within years, were no longer just merchants; they were landowners.
But not through negotiation—through encroachment.
They pushed the Khoi and San people off their ancestral lands, erected fences, brought disease, and committed atrocities like killing, raping, enslaving, and dispossessing,” Malema added.
Rejection of the Expropriation Bill and Future Actions
Malema also expressed his party’s rejection of the Expropriation Bill signed earlier this year.
The EFF leader remains firm in his belief that the fight for land must continue.
“We will not stop fighting for the land. This is our promise to the people of South Africa,” he declared, reinforcing his party’s stance on land expropriation without compensation.
