Workers will turn against you, Malema warns farmers

Ignoring the grumbles of one weary man, the Economic Freedom Fighters leader spoke for 50 minutes to a largely white farm-owning audience about their need to get on board with the party’s land expropriation plans.

 

Standing between party whip Floyd Shivambu and EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi while he addressed the small audience at the Palmiet Valley Estate, Malema assured the men and women before him that white people "wouldn’t be driven into the sea" but also warned that they must give some ownership of land to workers "or they will turn against you".

 

'Economic uprising'

 

Speaking of an "economic uprising", Malema said established white farmers owed it to the people of South Africa to "mentor them".

 

He said a land audit must be done to determine how much usable land there is in the country.

 

The EFF leaders were invited by the Gesprek Forum to address its agricultural members.

 

Malema, Shivambu and Ndlozi donned blazers and shirts, and not their customary red overalls.

 

As Malema spoke, Ndlozi looked on, sipping on a glass of red wine.

 

One audience member told News24 that before the evening dinner event, Malema spoke one-on-one with farmers and came across rather reasonably.

 

Farmers spoke to Malema about how they employ foreign nationals because they seemingly work harder, but the EFF leader explained that foreigners working in South Africa don’t necessarily have families to look after, unlike their South African counterparts.

 

Gesprek is an organisation that consists of leaders in various agricultural, industrial, medical and financial groups as well as delegates from the Farmworkers’ Association.

Author : Lauren Hess, News24.com
NewsWire ID : 1791

(File photo: Gallo Images)