Pretoria - The EFF in Tshwane has rejected the DA’s call for municipal council Speaker Dr Murunwa Makwarela to probe the conduct of its councillor in Olievenhoutbosch for his alleged involvement in land grab during the weekend.
The councillor, Godwin Ratikwane, was accused of mobilising the community to illegally occupy land next to the R55 road.
Following the incident, DA Gauteng MPL Crezane Bosch wrote to Makwarela, asking him to investigate the allegations that Ratikwane may have breached a code of conduct for councillors “to act in good faith, honesty, always in the best interest of the municipality, and in such a way that the integrity and credibility of the municipality are not compromised”.
Regional leader Obakeng Ramabodu said the EFF rejected “the absurd call” by the DA Gauteng spokesperson for community safety for an investigation by the Speaker against the EFF public representative.
Ramabodu lashed out at Bosch for being “misinformed” about the involvement of the EFF public representative in the incident.
He reiterated that the EFF was a protest movement, with a revolutionary culture by members of society to emancipate themselves from colonial injustices, which included land dispossession.
“The events of Olievenhoutbosch as initiated and co-ordinated by members of the community, presented the EFF public representative with an opportunity to participate in the people-led protest for the interest of most of the community. The public representative never did anything wrong other than talking to community members during the time of the protest,” he said.
On Tuesday, Ratikwane dismissed claims that he was behind mobilising people to occupy land in the area illegally. Ratikwane was implicated in the illegal land occupation because of a tweet that was sent out, inviting people to come “get land for free”.
The same tweet named him as a person to be contacted for land occupation.
In response, Ratikwane said: “What was said has not been said by myself.”
Pretoria News