City of Tshwane Condemns EFF Councillor for Handing Out ‘Free’ Land in Olievenhoutbosch

• EFF Councillor Godwin Ratikwane has called on residents of Olievenhoutbosch to flock to unoccupied land and claim it for themselves
• The Red Berets say they are solving the problem of land ownership that government has failed to address for the past 27 years
• Grandi Theunissen, member of the mayoral committee (MCC) for community safety, condemned the EFF for using the frustrations of a vulnerable community to advance a political agenda

TSHWANE – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are in hot water after party Councillor Godwin Ratikwane tweeted that the EFF was handing out free land in Olivenhoutbosch, Tshwane.

Ratikwane said that 110 hectares of unoccupied land supposedly isn't owned and implored residents from all over Gauteng to claim it for themselves.

The City of Tshwane released a media statement condemning the call to occupy land, saying that the Red Berets were attempting to incite unrest in Olievenhoutbosch through illegal land grabs.

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Tshwane MCC for Community Safety, Grandi Theunissen, claimed that the EFF was engaging in reckless, illegal and dangerous politicking, saying the party was weaponising the frustrations of a vulnerable community for political gain.

Theunissen said:

“In an obvious attempt to further their political agenda, earlier this morning [Monday, 29 August], the EFF once again abused the community’s frustrations by organising a volatile protest action in Olievenhoutbosch by blockading roads with burning tires.”

TimesLIVE reported that people flocked to the land and have begun erecting shacks. Ratikwane said that the occupation began on Friday, 26 August and that the EFF was attempting to solve a problem that government has failed to address for 27 years.

During the weekend, Tshwane and Johannesburg Metro Police, SAPS and private security companies reported to the scene to halt the illegal land grabs.

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Ratikwane said that the party might go back to the streets on Wednesday, 31 August, to protest the harassment that the people occupying the land are experiencing at the hands of police.

South Africans react to the EFF’s call to grab land in Olievenhoutbosch

Some social media users believe that the EFF is ruining the country by sanctioning illegal land grabs.

@BonginkosiNhl17 commented:

“The EFF is busy encouraging land grab in Olivenhoutbosch. You'd rather have these gatherings that have no longer g term value instead of Policing our Streets Effectively.”

EFF deputy Floyd Shivambu tells DA to shove its “coalition” ultimatum, plans to take down ANC

Briefly News previously reported that Deputy Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters Floyd Shivambu believes the political party will topple the African National Congress in the 2024 National government elections. This comes after the leader of the Democratic Alliance allegedly asked the EFF to be part of a coalition.

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During an interview, DA Leader John Steenhuisen said the party had given the EFF an ultimatum. This follows EFF Leader Julius Malema’s remarks saying that he would consider working with the ANC if Paul Mashatile was its president.

The claims seemingly rattled Shivambu, who took to Twitter to call the DA’s leadership self-righteous and childish.

Source: Briefly News