The South African Communist Party (SACP) on Thursday condemned recent comments made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in which he said land expropriation without compensation would be disastrous for South Africa and its citizens.

Speaking at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, in Ethiopia this week, Pompeo said South Africa’s land reform policy proposal was an example of centralised planning, which he pointed out had failed in other African countries, including Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

The SACP labelled Pompeo’s comments as “neo-colonial utterances” and said it rejected foreign interference with contempt.

The party said it would defend its sacrosanct democratic national sovereignty.

“Tens of millions of the oppressed people of South Africa were bloodily expropriated, and for that matter without compensation, under colonisation and successive colonial and apartheid dictatorial regimes. Restitution and equitable redistribution of land to end inequality, homelessness, hunger and pioneer human development are key principles of redress – a democratic measure provided for in our country’s Constitution,” the SACP said.

The party said that Pompeo had come to Africa to enforce US imperialism, which contrasted with democratic post-colonial transformation in the interest of social justice and shared prosperity.