South Africa: Youth League wants land back

Zuma pays tribute to Soweto uprising victims

South Africa: Youth League wants land back
Collins Atohengbe, Pretoria

The 24th National Congress of the Youth League of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has opened in Midrand Johannesburg with a call on the authorities in Pretoria to expedite action on the process of transferring wealth from the White minority to the Blacks whose economic power is nothing to write home about despite being in the majority.

The President of the League, Julius Malema said a situation where the whites still own over 80% of South Africa's land would not be condoned. He noted that some 17 years after the dethronement of apartheid, the promised gradual transfer of land had only resulted in less thanf five per cent increase from the 13 per cent held by blacks before 1994.

Malema said the only option left was for the Blacks to take the land without compensation to the whites because when the whites drove out blacks under the Bantustan programme of the defunct apartheid regime, the blacks did not get any compensation.

Economic analysts feel that if the call by the ANC Youth League was implemented, South Africa’s economy could nose dive and crumble partly because the economy is still in the hands of the minority white population, some of whom have begun relocating to other African countries where the business climate seems to be more comfortable.

South African President, Jacob Zuma who also addressed the congress said government was being cautious in the steps taken to accomplish its goals of black emancipation. Zuma said the government programmes would give attention to mass employment and skills development.

The President seized the opportunity to explain South Africa's position on allied forces’ bombardments in Libya; saying that it was in line with South Africa's charter on human rights.

South Africa had said it would not support a resolution of regime change in Libya because that was the prerogative of Libyans.

Earlier, Lebogang Maile, the League's Gauteng provincial leader said since 1944, the Youth League had always contributed to the history of South Africa through a number of its resolutions and that this year’s congress would not be different.

He charged the youth to be disciplined and respectful and to focus on the fact that the journey to political and economic emancipation required that all the stake holders showed complete allegiance to the rule of the law.

Ekata