JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s ANC yesterday said Zanu PF single-handedly destroyed Zimbabwe’s economy and the newly formed Economic Freedom Front (EFF), should be wary of taking inspiration from Zimbabwe.
Report by Staff Reporter
Expelled ANC youth league leader Julius Malema recently launched the EFF, whose manifesto champions nationalisation of mines and expropriation of farms, raising fears that he was advocating for Zimbabwe-style land grabs. ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said Malema’s party was not guided by the Freedom Charter, but rather was inspired by Zanu PF influence. “To me, the EFF has nothing to do with the Freedom Charter — it has everything to do with the influence of the Zanu PF,” he said. Malema has already had to ward off reports that Zanu PF was funding his party. Zanu PF has also denied that it was funding the EFF, with the party’s spokesman Rugare Gumbo denying that it was influencing Malema. “We don’t work with Malema. We have nothing to do with him,” Gumbo said. “We have always worked with the ANC.” Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, spokesman for EFF, said Mantashe’s statements were an attempt to discredit the group and tarnish its principle of “land expropriation without compensation for equal distribution”. The former ANC youth league leader has made no secret of his admiration of Zanu PF’s indigenisation and land reform programmes, saying people in Zimbabwe were in charge of their economy. — Additional reporting by Business Week.
