Ramaphosa urges SA unity amid tensions with Washington
President Cyril Ramaphosa has again responded to claims of land seizures from overseas.
He was replying to the debate on the State of the Nation Address on Thursday afternoon in Parliament.
"In 1968, the apartheid regime began demolishing District Six to make way for a whites-only suburb. More than 60,000 people were forcibly removed. Families were torn apart. An entire community and way of life was destroyed.
"Over the course of two decades, the apartheid regime forcibly removed more than 3.5 million people in District Six, Sophiatown, Marabastad, Cato Manor, Kroonstad, Nelspruit and many other places across the country. It was one of the largest mass removals of people in modern history."
"There are millions more across the country who still experience the effects of this monstrous crime. The people of this country know the pain of forced removals. That is why we will never allow forced removals again."
READ: Zikalala defends land expropriation as global practice
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump accused the South African government of confiscating land after Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act.
The Presidency swiftly moved to deny the claim, saying the Trump administration misunderstood the country's policies.
This week, The US Embassy in South Africa said it was closely monitoring land and farm seizures in South Africa.
In his reply in Parliament, Ramaphosa said South Africa should not allow anyone to define and divide its people.
"Surely we do not want a nation which is separated by race, language, income and geography? At a time like this, we need to stand united as a nation, particularly now when we are facing harsh global wind. This is not the time for any of us to rush off to foreign lands to lay complaints about issues that we can solve ourselves in our country."
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