Johannesburg - The property clause in the constitution should be amended to strengthen it, ANC Youth League president Julius Malema said on Thursday.
"The ANCYL's view is that the property clause should be amended and that proper legislation should be passed by parliament to regulate how the state should expropriate private property in the interests of the people," Malema told reporters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg.
It did not matter where that land was situated and when there was land available for settlement. "Let's have that land for our people," he said.
"We need a government that will say we're going to take this land then we will determine the price... take it, or leave it."
The government has admitted that the willing buyer, willing seller policy for land expropriation was not working.
Malema said "an unambiguous policy position" was needed for the state to take whatever land necessary and itself decide on the compensation.
The ANCYL would push for a change in the ANC's policy position on land after the ANC national general council (NGC), to be held in Durban from September 20 to 24.
The ANCYL wants the ANC to take on a much more "radical economic transformation programme".
"[We are] using the NGC as a launch event for this radical economic transformation," Malema said.
He again emphasised the importance of the Freedom Charter in formulating ANC policy.
"None of the resolutions taken by the ANC NGC should suggest any diversion from the essence of the Freedom Charter objectives.
"This extends to the resolution the NGC should take on banks, monopoly industries, land, housing, education, work and security, peace and friendship and all the Freedom Charter says we should realise."
Malema said the focus of the ANCYL was currently on economic freedom.
Its aim, therefore, would be on taking the ANC in an ideological direction to accomplish this.
It would then deal with the question of leadership.
"We are not starting with leaders. We are starting with programmes. We want a leadership that speaks to the programmes we are talking about.... We will never embrace person who still salute imperialism and colonialism."
The ANC NGC is a mid-term policy review and is the highest decision-making body between national conferences.