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Julius Malema in campaign regalia

JOHANNESBURG. — Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema says the ownership of land was the main focus of the fight for freedom.
Malema was campaigning in Namakgale outside Phalaborwa, Giyani and Tzaneen in Limpopo.
He says the majority of the people remain poor as they do not have the land.
Malema says the imprisonment of the liberation struggle fighters was because of the land.

“The African National Congress ‘ga e formiwa’ (was formed) because of the land it was because of the war of resistance which our people fought against white people for, the real issue is the land. Mandela went to prison for the land Sobukwe was killed for, the land Steve Biko was killed for, the land Solomon Mahlangu was killed for the land, Chris Hani was killed for the land all those who were imprisoned they were imprisoned because of the land.”

Malema has also criticised the ANC government for building low cost houses saying they’re smaller than the officials’ bathrooms.
He says the low cost houses are of poor quality standards.

“The bathrooms of ministers, premiers and the president they’re of a bigger size compared to an RDP house and when they give it to you they expect you to celebrate they say there’s a good story to tell a story of a house less than a bathroom of a politician it can’t be celebrated.”

Malema also claimed that he could not inspire the poor if he was living in a shack himself.
“We don’t want them to stay in shacks, that’s why we can’t stay in shacks,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.

“How are you going to inspire them when you are also going to stay in a shack?”
Malema said it was stupid to think otherwise.

“We don’t have to stay in Alexandra (north of Johannesburg) to liberate people of Alexandra.
“They want to get out (of) that situation, they don’t want people to come and join them. That’s stupidity to think like that,” he said. Malema has been criticised for his lavish lifestyle despite claiming to be the voice of the poor. — SABC/Sapa.