The Congress of the Traditional leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) has defended its position to join the call for a national referendum to resolve the country’s long standing land restitution impasse.
The decision was taken during a four-hour marathon bilateral meeting between Contralesa and the South African communist Party (SACP) in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. Speaking on You FM Newshour, Contralesa President Kgosi Mathupa Mokoena said that a decision is a major step towards addressing historical land dispossession and its ongoing impact on poverty and inequality in the country, as outlined by their joint statement with SACP.
“We have already communicated this resolution formally with the President Cyril Ramaphosa, with the Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, the speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, NCOP Refilwe Mtsweni Tsipane.We told them that we want the President to call for this referendum. But as to how what shape and form will this referendum take it’s the responsibility of Parliament, is the right platform or structure where they must sit and identify or decide on how the referendum will be conducted,” said Mokoena.
Furthermore, Mokoena said that their call for referendum will not duplicate the parliamentary oversight on the amendment of Section 25 of the constitution to expropriate land without compensation.
“We have lost confidence in this current process. This process is just waste of the public money and if you can count how much was spent by this government trying to resolve the question of land, billions and billions of rands were used.Some people looted our government in trying to convince us to say if we use consultants or of it is outsourced land will be returned speedily but it did not happen, now we are left with only one solution, a referendum. If someone would say a referendum would not work let them come with a better solution,” explained Mokoena.
The announcement comes amid growing public discontent and alleged ‘genocide against Afrikaners’ and their forceful removal from their farms and killings.Meanwhile, Contralesa has also reiterated its stance on the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) which it initially rejected.
“In the GNU there are some of the organisations who hate traditional leadership with passion and there’s no way in which we can embrace the GNU while some of the partners there don’t like us. You can see for yourself that this marriage of convenience will not last, they’re already dragging each other to court, throwing stones at each other, those are the issues we raised amongst other things,” Mokwena reiterated. He said they have made several attempts without any success, to meet with the ANC, to inform them that they want to contribute on how the GNU had to be formed before they signed a statement of intent.
“We even sent a delegation from our side it was led by our Deputy President Kgosi Nyalala Pilane and from the side of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders led by Kgosi Thabo Seatlholo. Unfortunately, all those attempts were rebuffed by the powers that be, because we were concerned that the GNU might be formed by people who hate traditional leadership,” lamented the Contralesa President.
