The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) acknowledged the day that Jan van Riebeeck arrived in the Cape on 6 April 1652 (formerly known as ‘Van Riebeeck day’), by marching to Remgro headquarters in Stellenbosch on 6 April.
This is according to Melikhaya Xego, Western Cape provincial chairperson of the EFF.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), held a march through Stellenbosch on 6 April. This date is significant as it marks the date that Jan van Riebeeck first arrived at the Cape in 1652, says Melikhaya Xego, Western Cape provincial chairperson of the EFF. PHOTO: William Brederode
For the EFF, these types of marches are “planned on the [EFF] national calendar” and are meant to happen annually on 6 April, said Xego. The marches are held in multiple locations in South Africa, which may change from year to year, according to Xego. The marches were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he stated.
President of the EFF, Julius Malema, also attended the march, said Xego.
Members of the party handed over a memorandum to company officials at Remgro as part of the march. This memorandum was, in part, directed at Johann Rupert, the chairman of Remgro Limited.
“The EFF calls on the Ruperts to release African people’s land, which they attained through genocide and massacres and sustained it through the colonial and apartheid crimes against humanity,” says the final page of the memorandum.
A memorandum from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) was delivered to the Remgro headquarters after members of the party marched through Stellenbosch. This is according to Melikhaya Xego, Western Cape provincial chairperson of the EFF. PHOTO: Twitter/@EFFSouthAfrica.
From Kayamandi to Remgro
“Initially, a crowd of 1 500 people were expected,” said Stuart Grobbelaar, communications manager of Stellenbosch Municipality, via email correspondence with MatieMedia. However, the municipality estimated that about 500 individuals attended the gathering, according to Grobbelaar.
“We started in Kayamandi. We marched all the way [to Remgro headquarters,] led by the commander in chief, president of the EFF, Julius Malema,” said Wandile Kasibe, Western Cape spokesperson for the EFF.
The municipality approved the gathering and traffic officers and members of the police were deployed to the main routes of the march, said Grobbelaar. The main routes were from Mount Simon, through Bird Street, Alexander Street, Adam Tas Road and Stellentia Road, added Grobbelaar.
The EFF’s focus on Johann Rupert
“[Johann] Rupert is one of the wealthiest individuals in South Africa and the wealth that he acquired, he acquired through exploitative means,” alleged Kasibe.
“The Ruperts, like all white people in South Africa, are direct beneficiaries of colonial settlement and land dispossession that begun [sic] on the 6th of April 1652,” says the second page of the memorandum.
Wandile Kasibe, the Western Cape spokesperson for the Economic Freedom Fighters, said that the march was organised “to say that, as black people, we have not forgotten that this land was stolen; it was taken by force from us and we will continue to remind those who stole our land that we are the original owners of this land”. PHOTO: William Brederode
“Our people are landless and that land was taken through the barrel of a gun – even today that state of landlessness is still affecting our people. We are saying to Rupert he must respond to those demands, otherwise people will respond differently,” said Kasibe. The memorandum states that the Ruperts have 14 days to respond to the EFF’s demands.
MatieMedia reached out to Remgro headquarters for comment on 8 April, but Jannie Durand, the chief executive officer of Remgro, indicated that the company will not comment at this stage.
By Joel Ontong and William Brederode