Holomisa tells Mboweni ANC has no-one to blame but itself for land bill failure

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa says the ANC has no-one to blame but itself for its failure to pass legislation providing for expropriation of land without compensation. 

Holomisa said the ANC was a failed liberation movement and South Africans are beginning to question the party.

“These are the results of a liberation movement which never liberated even a square inch of the land, militarily speaking, hence you went to negotiate with cap in hand. Unfortunately, today's generation is beginning to ask serious questions about your tortoise steps,” he tweeted on Thursday. 

Holomisa was responding to former finance minister Tito Mboweni, who slammed smaller parties, including the UDM, for their lack of support for the ANC to pass the bill.

There were 204 MPs who voted in favour of the bill and 145 who voted against. The ANC needed 267 votes to pass the bill into law.

Mboweni said opposition parties adopted an “all or nothing” approach which compromised landless South Africans. 

“As for the UDM, IFP, COPE, etc shame on you! Step by step you should join us to transform this country. Your all or nothing approach does not work within the context of a 'negotiated solution'. You live in a world of a non-negotiated situation to a difficult issue.”

During the debate in the National Assembly, Holomisa said the ANC needs to consult opposition parties on the matter and suggested approaching the UK for funding to fast-track land redistribution for farming purposes. 

UDM MP Nqabayomzi Kwankwa said the ANC should "look in the mirror" before blaming opposition parties. 

“The problem is the tortoise approach the ANC took in 1994 has brought most citizens nothing but misery, an economically untransformed SA and a tedious litany of empty and broken promises. We don’t want trivial ameliorations. We want wholesale change."

The EFF, known advocates for land expropriation without compensation, voted against the bill, saying it was watered down. 

Party leader Julius Malema said voting with the ANC would disenfranchise the landless.