EFF Youth leader calls for one Africa, land expropriation without compensation

Economic Freedom Fighters Youth Command Convener Blessing Methononda has called for land expropriation without compensation and the creation of a united African state, arguing that Africa cannot claim to have true democracy while millions remain economically excluded and land ownership remains unequal.

Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Thursday, Blessing said political freedom across Africa remains incomplete because many citizens still lack economic power and control over resources.

“By the way, in Africa, we don’t have a democracy. I can’t say we have a definition of democracy in Africa, because at this juncture we don’t have a democracy,” he reiterated.

The EFF Youth Command leader argued that elections and free movement across borders do not automatically amount to democracy, saying only a few African countries practice it effectively.

“The democracy which we have in Africa, out of 53 countries in Africa, you will find that it is being practiced in a few countries,” he added.

Blessing linked Africa’s democratic struggles to economic inequality, particularly land ownership in South Africa, where he said wealth and land remain concentrated in the hands of a minority.

“We have economic power. The majority of people who are living in South Africa, 4% is white people, the rest are black people, but people who are owning 80% of the land are white people,” he explained.

He insisted that land redistribution is necessary to address historical injustices caused by apartheid-era dispossession.

“We want the expropriation of land without compensation for equal redistribution,” he stated.

According to Blessing, Africans may have political rights, including the freedom to form political parties, but many still lack meaningful economic control.

“We have political power, where even I can form a political party today, because I have political power, but I don't have economic power,” he explained.

The EFF Youth leader also called for deeper continental integration, proposing a single African political and economic system.

“We want Africa with one currency, one president, one parliament, and one educational system,” he outlined.

He argued that divisions between African states continue to weaken the continent’s economic and political progress.

Blessing also weighed in on migration and xenophobia in South Africa, saying Africans should not be divided by borders.

“We are defending our brothers, even if we are going to leadership,” he argued, while calling for the rejection of xenophobic attitudes.

He further claimed that foreigners contribute heavily to South Africa’s economy, especially through retail businesses and small enterprises.

“90% of super shops in South Africa are being owned by foreigners,” he said.

However, he maintained that economic opportunities remain uneven because of structural inequality and limited ownership among local communities.

Blessing also suggested that migration tensions are sometimes fuelled by political interests and outside influence.

He concluded by reiterating his support for economic liberation and a united Africa, saying political freedom alone is not enough without ownership of land and resources.

“We want our land, we want the United States of Africa. We want the economic power,” he said.