By Kenneth Mokgatlhe,
The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) is not happy with the rate at which the country is going about in returning the land back to its rightful owners. We have done more talk with little action in terms of putting all what we are saying into practice. The land question has become a political football in which all formations have adopted such to win the hearts of potential and eligible voters.
The land question is a sensitive matter and cannot be reduced to scoring of political points, thousands of people have lost their lives in pursuit of returning the land back to its owners, African people. The land matter is not only sensitive to the PAC but highly spiritually because it connects us with our ancestors and Gods.
It was during this day in 1913 when the Union of South Africa endorsed a criminal act of 1652 when they introduced and adopted a new “thuggish” legislation billed Native Land Act of 1913. It should be put on record that 1913 was not the year of theft, the land was stolen in 1652 and that is the very year in which our people were conquered hence their dignity vanished with their land.
African majority have been outside of the economy from 1652, they were then forced to supply labour to thugs who stole their land so that they can make means of survival. The situation African majority find themselves in today has not been changed, the atrocities were orchestrated in that dark year of 1652.
We are applauding our traditional leaders as well as our communities for their resistance against colonialism which was arrogantly imposed by settlers. The PAC adopted the struggle from King Bambatha after the Bambatha Rebellion, we decided to militarily armed politics with a sophisticated approach of politics in the late early 1960s after historic formation of the PAC.
The PAC is vindicated on the question of land, we have for a long time counselled and communicated the significance of land to everyone in this country, our message was difficult to be comprehended but we never stopped. We are today happy because our people are now talking about land that was stolen in 1652, the violation of human rights which ought to be corrected now.
It has been very difficult for the PAC since 1959, we have at all times been consistent on the question of land despite our electorate being lied to. It was former PAC MP Motsoko Pheko who spoke about land everyday in the parliament but everyone dismissed him and mocked him for his stance on the land.
The PAC believes that the base of any economy or democracy in the world is centred around its own land. Land should be understood from economic point of view, land is wealth, land encompasses our mines, farms, forestry, seas, oceans, people, game and everything found on the earth planet.
We are urging our people not to be confused about what learns means to them, land is not limited to cheap “residential” areas where we are expected to demand “RDP” houses or put shack which takes away the dignity which the PAC wants to instill and restore that dignity which was stolen in 1652.
