EFF statement on the Supreme Court of Appeal’s judgment regarding AfriForum’s Land Occupation Interdict
22 June 2023
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) fervently objects to the judgement handed down by the Supreme Court of Appeals (SCA) in Bloemfontein, upholding the interdict by AfriForum against EFF's calls for land occupation. This verdict embodies the oppressive nature of apartheid draconian laws that sanctioned the theft of our ancestral lands.
The SCA upheld the ruling that should the EFF continue to advocate for the invasion and occupation of land, it would be considered a serious crime. Astonishingly, even in the era of democracy, we witness the courts criminalising the yearning for rightful land ownership, deeming land occupation illegal and branding it a criminal offense within our nation AfriForum's pursuit of this interdict is marred by frivolous motives rooted in white supremacist, racist, and anti-black ideologies. It has been made abundantly clear how the courts themselves are captured by the white establishment.
The SCA has not only unleashed a dormant violence that has festered beneath the surface but also created fertile ground for white supremacist, anti-black extremists like AfriForum to collude with trigger-happy police and security forces.
This alliance will exploit the situation to inflict merciless violence upon the vulnerable and landless individuals who yearn for nothing more than a plot of land to construct their humble homes.
The EFF firmly holds the view that land hunger is akin to the fundamental human need for access to water, a right that cannot be unjustly denied to our fellow citizens.
We contend that the application of such laws not only undermines the spirit of our Constitution but also disregards the explicit provisions enshrined within it.
Furthermore, this judgment blatantly contradicts the rich tapestry of historical liberation struggles that have unequivocally recognised the fundamental right of citizens to engage in peaceful protest, including the act of land occupation when conducted in a nonviolent manner.
It is the duty of the EFF to stand united against this assault on our rights, protecting the vulnerable from a fate marred by violence, suppression, and the denial of their basic human dignity. The resolute call to our people, urging them to identify and occupy land wherever they deem necessary, is firmly rooted in the cardinal pillar number one of the EFF, and it is a principle that we cannot forsake.
A regressive verdict of this nature clearly reveals how if left unchallenged or unreviewed within the confines of the courtroom, must be fiercely confronted and contested in the streets, employing any means necessary.
Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 22 June 2023
