Patrick Lumumba urges resolution of land issue, at Mandela memorial lecture

Kenyan intellectual Prof Patrick Lumumba said on Tuesday that without land there would be no peace in Africa.

Lumumba was delivering the Nelson Mandela Memorial lecture at Walter Sisulu University Mthatha campus.

"Nelson Mandela would have reminded us that the last colonial question is land. If you don’t tackle the issue of land‚ you shall never know peace‚" Lumumba said to loud applause from the crowd that packed the auditorium.

The lecture was attended by‚ among others‚ Bhisho legislature deputy speaker Mlibo Qoboshiyane‚ department of rural development and agrarian reform MEC Xolile Nqatha and ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukaitobi.

The land question has become a hot potato following the ANC December conference at Nasrec‚ which adopted the policy of land expropriation without compensation.

Lumumba continued reminiscing, saying that if Mandela were among the people celebrating the centenary he would have asked numerous important questions‚ including how a continent like Africa‚ rich in mineral resources‚ continued to be poor.

"He would have asked how is it that our continent that is so endowed produces what it does not consume and consumes what it does not produce. He would have asked whether the continent of Africa is really liberated. Nelson Mandela would have reminded us that we Africans have suffered more‚" Lumumba said.

He said time had come for Africa to cleanse itself and deal with corruption‚ as Mandela would have liked.

"The time has come we must do away with dealers and have leaders‚ do away with cheaters and have teachers instead. He would have posed the question: ‘How is it that corruption is still a scourge in our continent?’ Madiba would have told us to unite‚" he said.