Collen Sedibe said the 12 fighters were fighting the struggle of the landless.
The twelve members of the Economic Freedom Fighters who were arrested on Sunday afternoon for invasion of empty land have been released on bail.
Nine of them were arrested in eMbalenhle where they were encouraging people to occupy empty land and build shacks.
The three were nabbed in Bethal.
“The issue of land is very serious. If you go to Bethal you see people living in back-yard rooms, nowhere to go they don’t have land,” provincial spokesman Collen Sedibe told 013News Monday mid-day.
“The municipality has huge land lying idle but they don’t want to give to our people,” he said.
The 12 will return to the different courts on 4 May 2017 – Secunda and Bethal – on charges of trespassing.
Sedibe said the fighters will be freed when they return to courts on 4 May.
He only released the names of the three fighters who were arrested in Bethal -Mavis Nsibande, Sombu Nhlabathi and Wendy Masango.
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“We have strong belief and trust in the judiciary system which the ANC mayor of Govan Mbeki, Florah Maboa-Boltman, has been trying to manipulate and corrupt in order for more charges to be pressed against our members so that they can remain in custody for a longer period.
“Like before we are determined and cocksure that our members will walk free on the 4th of May when they appear again because there is no single member who has been found guilty of such a charge.
“What is more surprising is that the complainant is the very same ANC which not so long issued a statement through its President that indeed the should be an amendment on section 25 of the constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation but the cronies are doing the opposite like they did in parliament when EFF offered them 6% to change section 25 of the constitution but opted to vote against.
“This is an indication that the ANC leadership does not walk the talk and their centre is no longer holding,” Sedibe said.
“We thank all the fighters who came out in their numbers to support the fighters and their families.
“We must continue to support one another through good and hard times,” he added.
(edited by ZK)
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