No Zim-style landgrabs for us, says Malema

African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema said the league’s land redistribution proposal would not be like Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe’s programme.

He has done that, but the method is wrong,” Malema said in the Equality Court in response to questions by Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (Tau-SA)‘s lawyer Roelof du Plessis.

Malema is on trial under the Equality Act for alleged hate speech for singing the lyrics “dubhule ibhunu”. He said he did not recognise the translation of the words from Zulu as “shoot the boer”.

The youth league wanted land redistribution law changed from willing buyer, willing seller, he told the court.

It also wanted the Constitution to be amended accordingly.

It believed it was wrong that 90% of the population owned less than 20% of the land—a figure put forward by Du Plessis.

The youth league believed that land owners could be convinced to hand over land.

Under questioning, Malema said people would not be put onto trucks and driven away.

“That would be anarchic.

Earlier, he agreed that he had been trained to use arms and obey commands at 13 for the ANC.

He said although the struggle to remove colonialism was not over, arms were no longer used.

The case against Malema was lodged by civil rights group AfriForum and farmer representatives Tau-SA.

They believe the lyrics of the struggle song are threatening and polarising in post-apartheid South Africa.

They want the lyrics to be declared hate speech and for Malema to be interdicted from singing the song again.

In his testimony on Thursday, Malema said AfriForum did not represent all farmers.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe and Human Settlements minister Tokyo Sexwale had farms.

Asked whether Sexwale would have to give up his farm, Malema said that could be dealt with if it came to it.

He agreed that people listened to him, but added: “They do what I say, not what I sing.”—Sapa