Black First Land First
Black First Land First (BLF) is a South African black consciousness and Pan-Africanist political movement founded in October 2015 by Andile Mngxitama, emphasizing land expropriation without compensation as the primary mechanism for black economic liberation and the dismantling of white monopoly capital.[1][2] The organization draws on Sankarist leadership principles, inspired by Thomas Sankara's revolutionary ethos, to advocate for radical black self-determination and opposition to neoliberal policies that perpetuate racial economic disparities.[2] BLF gained prominence through its uncompromising stance on land restitution, positioning itself against the African National Congress, Democratic Alliance, and Economic Freedom Fighters for allegedly safeguarding white land ownership, and it adopted the slogan "Land or Death" to underscore the existential imperative of redistribution.[3] Despite contesting the 2019 general elections, where it secured a marginal vote share insufficient for parliamentary representation, the movement faced legal challenges that led to its deregistration as a political party by the Electoral Court in November 2019, following appeals citing non-compliance with electoral regulations and prior controversies.[4][5] The group has been defined by significant controversies, particularly Mngxitama's public endorsements of retaliatory violence, including a 2018 tweet stating "for every 1 black person killed we shall kill 5 white people," which prompted hate speech complaints from opposition parties and civil rights bodies, highlighting BLF's rejection of non-racial constitutional norms in favor of ethnic prioritization.[6][7] These positions, while galvanizing a niche base committed to unapologetic black nationalism, have isolated BLF from broader coalitions and reinforced perceptions of it as an extremist fringe advocating racial confrontation over reconciliation.[8] Post-deregistration, BLF has operated as a non-partisan movement, critiquing ongoing land reform failures and aligning with radical causes, though its influence remains limited amid South Africa's entrenched political landscape.[9]