Durban - EFF leader Julius Malema has called on the government to use the declaration of the national state of disaster to expedite the expropriation of land so that people displaced by the floods in KwaZulu-Natal could get decent houses.
Accompanied by his secretary-general Marshall Dlamini and provincial leaders, Malema visited flooded shacks in Clare Estate in Durban on Thursday and donated blankets and food parcels to 500 people affected by the floods.
Malema also announced the donation of R500 000 to the Eshcol Community Church, which gave shelter to 150 people whose shacks were washed away in the floods.
He thanked pastor Dayson Govender who leads the church for showing humanity by availing his church to the needy community adding that the money he was donating would help the church to continue feeding people as it had been doing for the past seven days since they started living there.
Malema then turned his focus on the government, slamming it for not using the declaration of the state of disaster to expropriate land, to build houses on safe land. He said the declaration of a state of disaster was equivalent to a state of emergency, which allows the government to take extraordinary measures.
“This was the opportunity for the government to expropriate land without compensation, and the situation has provided the opportunity for that so there was no reason to even amend the section 25 now. By the way, we have been told the current Constitution allows for expropriation of land without compensation without amending it.
“Government must go for unused land which is owned by individuals but are not doing anything about it,” said Malema.
Before handing over the food parcels and blankets, he visited areas where more than five people died.
Malema also weighed in on accusations that Premier Sihle Zikalala received preferential treatment by allegedly diverting a water tanker meant to deliver water to Tongaat areas to his house in La Mercy.
But the premier’s office issued a media statement, saying: “Following the deliberations, the La Mercy Ratepayers Association in the spirit of reconciliation apologised to the premier regarding the incident which arose out of miscommunication.”
Chairperson of the La Mercy Ratepayers Association, Ravi Ramsundar said both parties met and the premier also apologised for the miscommunication caused by the water tanker issue.
“The parties agree to co-ordinate better in the interest of the community. The parties acknowledged that in the past the premier has assisted where he could in terms of water shortages in the area,” read the statement.
Malema also raised concerns about the province’s many political killings.
He also used the occasion to congratulate the ward 3 branch and members in Phokane Local Municipality in North West for winning the ward for the first time for the party, saying it was a clear indication that people had begun to realise that the EFF was their only hope for the future.
Daily News