Africa-Press – South-Africa. The party has justified its position by saying communities could not occupy the “little land” belonging to black people.
A group of people were said to have occupied the traditionally owned land in Mohlaletsi village, Jane Furse, Limpopo, over the weekend.
Speaking to News24, the EFF’s Limpopo chairperson, Tshilidzi Maraga, said it was crucial to protect the Bapedi family, who she described as the land’s traditional custodians.
“The traditional leaders remain the custodian of the land. Therefore, the EFF cannot allow [the] Bapedi monarch’s land to be stolen. We are talking about the land, but we don’t have to steal the land from Queen Bapedi.
“With the call of the occupied land, it means to return the land invaded by settlers, not to invade the little land that is in our possession,” said Maraga.
The Bapedi Royal House is facing a dispute about who is the rightful leader as Queen Mother Manyaku Thulare is yet to be formally recognised and is facing an internal challenge.
Marage added the law needed to take more action to ensure the land, which had been preserved for the construction of the Royal Palace and a shopping centre, was free of occupation.
The EFF has long agitated for people to occupy land and to build houses even on private land. They have also long pushed for the state to expropriate land without compensation.
In a statement on Monday, Maraga said: “The Queen Mother should continue to lead the Bapedi nation, and she must be shown the necessary respect.
“We call on SAPS to patrol the area and closely monitor the situation to deter any possible land invasions.”
News24 reached out to the police for comment but they were not immediately available.
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