LIMUSA condemns AfriForum’s fallacy on Expropriation of Land without Compensation
2 August 2018
The Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa (LIMUSA) has noted the campaign by AfriForum to lobby investors against the current parliamentary process on expropriation of land without compensation.
We condemn this campaign with the contempt it deserves. It shocking that AfriForum wishes to lobby international investors against a democratic parliamentary process which is intended at reversing the imbalances of the past.
We have also noted that the only time when AfriForum raises its voice is when it is against the majority of South Africans whom are the working class and the poor. This campaign by AfriForum is characterized by a fallacy that the utterances of the ANC are against the will of South Africans. We therefore find it shocking that AfriForum would want to campaign against processes which will ultimately bare the outcomes which it claims to be in favour of their position.
It has also come to our attention that this campaign by AfriForum is launched immediately after it has been announced that the manufacturing sector, which includes the metal industry, has lost more than 150 000 jobs during the second quarter of this year. It is also known that unemployment rose by 0.5 percentage unit in the second quarter of this year. We therefore find it provocative and an attack on workers that AfriForum would embark on such a reckless undemocratic campaign amidst such economic challenges.
It is now clear that the rhetoric which AfriForum always utters that their position against expropriation of land without compensation is in the best interest of the economy is in actual fact a total fallacy. A campaign against investment which will create jobs can never be in the best interest of the economy.
We also want to mention that it is not the first time that AfriForum launches an attack on workers. AfriForum also challenged the Employment Equity Act which was aimed at redressing the imbalances of the past and empowering the majority of South Africans whom are the working class and the poor. It is therefore clear that AfriForum will do anything in their power to retain the legacy of the apartheid system.
The claims by AfriForum that Venezuela and Zimbabwe are clear examples that expropriation of land is catastrophic is also a mere farce. Expropriation laws exist in all countries, including the USA and the UK. Expropriation speaks to equality and justice and it is always in the best interest of the economy.
We therefore want to reiterate that we fully support the call for expropriation of land without compensation. We strongly oppose any compensation being paid to persons who benefited from immoral apartheid expropriation. We do not find it logical that the taxes of workers should be used to pay for the land that was stolen from the same working class in the first place.
Issued by Dloze Matooane, Media and Communications Officer, LIMUSA, 2 August 2018
