Malema says RDP houses will be built in Sandton if EFF takes over

THE UPMARKET area of Sandton will see the construction of RDP houses near the affluent northern area if the EFF takes over the City of Joburg after the November 1 national local government elections.

This was the pledge made by EFF leader Julius Malema during the launch of his party’s election manifesto and the celebration of what would have been the 85th birthday of late Struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at Gandhi Square in the Joburg CBD on Sunday.

The events culminated in the renaming of the EFF headquarters at Gandhi Square after Madikizela-Mandela.

Malema said the EFF’s election manifesto covered the needs of all people, including the rural poor and those deprived of fishing licences. Speaking to an audience of over 15,000 who attended the event, he told them that an EFF government “was going to identify land next to Sandton to build RDP houses in the area".

"This is to promote integrated human settlements. We belong to each other and you must live together,” he said.

Referring to so-called hijacked buildings in Tshwane, Joburg and other metropolitan areas, Malema said his party was going to repossess these and create accommodation for poor people.

“We are not saying those buildings were hijacked by foreigners. We are saying those buildings were hijacked by criminals and must be returned to the people,” Malema said.

He said areas such as Hillbrow and Berea in Johannesburg, and Sunnyside in Pretoria, were among his party’s priorities when it came to repossession to create houses and student accommodation.

Malema also announced his party was going to impose a “property wealth tax” on all those who resided in suburban areas of South Africa.

This was a massive backtrack on a similar comment he made two weeks ago while addressing his supporters at Bophelong. At that time, he insinuated that only white people would be expected to make such a payment, to subsidise those who are recipients of Sassa grants.

Speaking at Sunday’ launch, however, the EFF leader said: “The property wealth tax will affect those that live in big houses and have big yards. We are going to tax them because they are rich, they must subsidise the poor.

“It means Dali (advocate Dali Mpofu SC), who lives in Houghton, must pay for a person. [It] includes myself. I live in Sandton. I must pay the property wealth tax,” Malema said.

– Political Bureau