We need legislation as forceful as war - Lamola on land expropriation
1 March 2018
Tshwane - Previous resolutions of the ANC Youth League - like dealing with the questions of free education and land are slowly coming to fruition, the league's former deputy and current African National Congress national executive committee member Ronald Lamola said on Wednesday.
Lamola, who is also part of the ANC's national working committee made the comments on the side-lines of a lecture on land, and its expropriation without compensation.
He said the issues of land and free education were some of the goals of a generation of the youth league, led then by current Economic Freedom Fighters commander in chief Julius Malema leader.
They resolved at the league's 24th national congress to pursue these ideas it they believed it was a necessary path toward economic freedom.
In a historic sitting on Tuesday, the National Assembly voted in favour of a motion brought forward by Malema and the EFF to expropriate land without compensation.
Expropriation without compensation
Lamola said it was worrying that this had to be done by a party outside of the ANC but celebrated the fact that it was finally happening.
"[I'm] very happy that at last the ANC has agreed to this policy, [the] ANC is like an elephant, a bit conservative but you have to persuade it and at the end when it resolves, it moves," he said.
But Lamola, in defence of his political party, said the liberation movement had already shown signs, during its 52nd national congress, of moving toward expropriation without compensation.
"The generation of the 24th national congress [of the ANCYL], I think wherever they are across the country they are still in pride and I know even Sindiso Magaqa wherever he is sleeping, is excited and smiling because the goals and the objectives of that generation, one by one are being achieved," said Lamola, speaking fondly of the slain former ANCYL secretary general.
Legislation has to be forceful like a war
Drawing lessons from the Zulu nation's chief Bhambatha, who was killed in 1906, Lamola said the land was taken in the battlefield and had to be won that very same way, warning that being cautious or driven by market forces in this quest would not make it successful.
"We need legislation as forceful as war," Lamola urged.
He said that it had taken SA around 25 years to reach its conclusion on land, but that it needed to take decisive action in ensuring the goal of reclaiming stolen land was attained.
Lamola also hit out at minority lobby group AfriForum.
He said the ANCYL had warned it that one day land in SA would be expropriated without compensation.
"Our prophecy is slowly becoming reality, AfriForum should accept that expropriation of land without compensation is in the interest of all South Africans," wrote Lamola in a Facebook post following his lectures.
He added we must all share in the country's land. News24
Ramaphosa's Cabinet not helpful to youth issues - Lamola
Tshwane - African National Congress national executive committee member and former ANC Youth League deputy president Ronald Lamola says an increasingly youthful country cannot continue to be served by leaders who are not able to relate to their challenges.
He was speaking to journalists in Centurion, where he delivered a lecture on the issue of land and expropriation without compensation.
Lamola said he agreed with the current youth league's criticism that young people had been completely overlooked in President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent Cabinet reshuffle.
"You can't have a youthful nation, youthful challenges, and do not have youthful people that address the issues that relate to the youth," he said.
The NEC and national working committee member said although the Cabinet changes were "not helpful to a youthful nation", he appreciated that Ramaphosa's reshuffle was a balancing act.
"Maybe we can pardon him and the officials on the basis that this was a balancing act, all of us have seen, it was not easy because there were people they had to take out and bring in," he said.
Lamola also refused to confirm or deny whether he had been approached to serve on the new president's Cabinet, but said the time was not right as he was not a Member of Parliament and was still working at his law firm.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of serving in the president's executive after the 2019 general elections.
"I do not have ambitions of going there; I am still practising, but I know many young people on the lists of the ANC in the National Assembly, lots of young capable comrades, graduates of the youth league who are competent in the National Assembly, who could have played that role," said Lamola.
