Maimane's campaign message on land rejected by some in Marikana
13 April 2019
We want land redistribution without compensation, the community of Marikana told News24 shortly after DA leader Mmusi Maimane promised title deeds and financial compensation for land.
Maimane's visit to the North West's dusty mining town drew a little over 30 supporters who came to see the party leader.
His message, which including putting corrupt ANC leaders in jail and unbundling Eskom into two entities, received cheers from the community who demand housing and increased social grants. In a mixture of IsiXhosa and Sesotho Maimane promised to double government social grant spend.
"People ask where we are going to get this money. I want to say, when the DA comes in we want to sell SAA, we don’t need the government to own SAA. Let us rather take the money from SAA and put it towards grants because our children live with just R400. We want that money to at least be R800."He told the community he would cut government spend by slashing a bloated cabinet and state loans to Eskom, "so that the money that protects the Ramaphosa's will be given to our people."
This was welcomed by his small support base in the town. His party message on land distribution without compensation was, however, taken with some hesitation.
Message on land
In his 10 minute address, Maimane gave a brief background on the 'successful track record' in handing over 6 000 title deeds to home owners in Johannesburg.He then said he did not agree with the ANC and EFF resolution to amend the constitution for land redistribution, putting forward a DA plan instead. The DA believes in a title deed reform that Maimane has said will make real home owners of those recipients of state subsidised housing.
"I want to give you title deeds. If we don’t give you a title to that place how can you say you own that place. We want people to own. We want to abandon the old housing list because people are still waiting for housing. I say it’s better to get money because people can build their own houses. It’s better to give you a title and money so you can build your own house."
A small group who came to listen to Maimane were less than impressed with this election promise. "How much money does he plan to give us? How much land will we get from these subsidies houses? He is telling us to be satisfied with a small piece of land while the white communities enjoy farm lands. We cannot be satisfied with a small donation from government. That would not help my family," Mthuthuzeli Soyabo, aged 43, said shortly after.
Nonzwakazi Toyo who came to the small town from the Eastern Cape said she wanted land for her children."It will be a short lived gratification to get money and an RDP plot of land. I have to think about my children and my grandchildren. Maimane does not have any direction in this matter. I like what he said about grants but I don’t agree with him on land," Toyo said.
