Serious Land Party Celebrations this weekend

The Land Party will be holding their second plenum in Knysna this coming weekend, 5th-7th February 2021. They will also be belatedly celebrating their 2nd anniversary.

The Land Party emerged from the ashes of protests over land and service delivery that rocked the town of Hermanus during the course of 2018. People from Zwelihle felt they had no political home and no one to vote for in the imminent elections. They approached local community leaders and activists, who had facilitated the end of the protests through engagement with local and provincial government, to form a party for the people.

In December 2018, the Land Party was founded. Just 5 months later, in May 2019, it participated in the National elections and contested 3 provinces (Gauteng, Western Cape, and Limpopo). It performed very well at home, winning almost 10% of the total votes in the Overstrand and outperforming the ANC in Ward 6, one of its strongholds.

In the recent by-election held in December 2020, the Land Party won Zwelihle’s Ward 12, also traditionally an ANC stronghold, with 56% of the vote. The Land Party councillor, Michael Mhana, commenced his duties in January 2021. He is supported, as per Land Party policy, by a council of 9 other people. Mr Mhana was elected in a preliminary election where anyone living in Ward 12 could stand and/or vote for who they wanted to stand as councillor for the Land Party. Land Party members who are non-nationals are also allowed to participate in this prelim.

The Land Party is looking forward to the 2021 elections and has already started its #EatTheRich election campaign. Obviously, the Land Party is not advocating that the rich are literally eaten, but rather that the time has come for the systemic greed and wealth that is keeping the majority of South Africans trapped in poverty be destroyed. Power needs to be seized from the White Monopoly Capitalists, the Neo-liberalists, and their cronies, and returned to the people. Land Party has pragmatic solutions, devised by ordinary people, to ensure true equality is expedited so that all the people of South Africa can live with the dignity they deserve.

The Land Party is funded by its members, most of whom are working-class or unemployed. It is democratically led by ordinary working-class people who are dedicated to being the vanguard of the working class, the poor, and the destitute. Land Party truly is a party of the people.

The agenda for the second Land Party plenum includes policy discussions on the new Land Expropriation Bill, the 2021 Local Government Elections, Coronavirus, and the party’s constitution.

The press are welcome to attend a press briefing after the plenum at 11am on Sunday 7th February at the Laguna Grove in Knysna or request access to a Zoom link from the communications team on 076 208 4956.

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CONTACT: Vuyo Nxodo 076 208 4956