‘Zimbabwe land seizures should have been copied in SA’ – Julius Malema

We doubt Julius Malema will find widespread support for these claims – but then again, the EFF leader has never been in the business of pleasing people. Speaking on Sunday, the political firebrand stated that South Africa ‘missed a trick’ by failing to enact the same policy on land seizures as Zimbabwe did.

Zimbabwe and its land seizures of 2000

Back in 2000, Robert Mugabe ordered the redistribution of all white-owned farms in Zimbabwe. Within weeks, landowners who had spent decades working in the agricultural business were turfed out and sent on their way.

The move drew international condemnation, and led to a near-complete isolation of our neighbouring nation by powerful western forces. Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF, however, stood by the policy – and recent estimates say that the economic damage caused these land seizures tops the $12 billion mark.

Nonetheless, Julius Malema is steadfast in his belief that black South Africans must control the land, regardless of the financial cost any upheaval would bring – and he’s made no secret of his admiration for Mugabe.

Julius Malema ‘wanted South Africa to copy Mugabe policy’

In fact, he feels like South Africa missed the boat more than 20 years ago. Malema reckons South Africa could have followed suit AND encouraged other countries to join the so-called revolution.

• Even with hindsight, it seems like a risky position to take. But Juju won’t have his mind changed any time soon…

“South Africa will never succeed in an economic liberation without other African countries being economically liberated. We failed to follow Zimbabwe. When they took the land, we and every other African country should have followed. Zimbabwe then wouldn’t have been isolated, there’d have been room to negotiate.”

Julius Malema

[MUST WATCH]: CIC @Julius_S_Malema says the intention is to build a continental movement. We did so intentionally because we know that South Africa will never succeed in an economic liberation without other African countries being economically liberated. #MalemaOnSABC pic.twitter.com/VQxtYVt4mW

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) April 3, 2022