JOHANNESBURG, May (ANA) - The African National Congress (ANC) leaders have agreed that expropriation of land without compensation should go ahead as recommended by the party's land summit, although there is no clear modality on how it would be carried out, ANC secretary general Ace Magashule said on Tuesday.
Traditional leaders would be consulted in the process, Magashule said addressing reporters after the national executive committee (NEC) ordinary meeting.
"The NEC adopted a comprehensive approach for a parliamentary review of section 25 of the Constitution, and the immediate use of section 25 to press ahead with expropriation of land to test the argument that the Constitution does permit expropriation of land without compensation...should it be found that section 25 impedes implementation of expropriation without compensation, then the Constitution will be amended and immediately pass expropriation bill to bring better clarity," he said.
The governing party's land summit held last weekend in Ekurhuleni agreed that it was time to implement the ANC December conference resolution on land redistribution.
The party heard from experts, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and those involved in dairy farming as it seeks ways to redistribute land equitably. The land summit outcomes were only just recommendations until ratified by the NEC.
Delegates also called for farm evictions to stop immediately and that the 22,000 farm dwellers' land claims be settled at once and title deeds be issued.
Magashule said over 200,000 written submissions have been made to Parliament's constitutional review committee ahead of public hearings set to begin simultaneously in Limpopo and Northern Cape next month.
The committee must report back on the public hearing outcomes to Parliament in August.
- African News Agency (ANA)
