Agri SA said it was extremely concerned about several aspects of the report by the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform, particularly the controversial recommendations which include amending the Constitution and land ceilings.
Agri SA said that it does not support any policy or legislation that infringes on property rights or any other fundamental right enshrined in the constitution.
The Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture released its report on Sunday, endorsing the proposed policy shift towards using the provisions of the Constitution to expropriate land without compensation.
"The majority view in the panel is that it is an inescapable fact that section 25 of the Constitution is compensation-centric," the panel said.
It said that the notion and origin of "expropriation" draws from global examples where it is inextricably linked with some form of compensation".
The panel had therefore offered a proposal for a constitutional amendment that clarified that EWC may be necessary in limited circumstances, but certainly in order to elevate the objectives of land reform.
If the recommendations contained in this report are implemented to the letter, food security for all South Africans will be compromised,” said Omri van Zyl, Agri SA Executive Director.
“Investor and business confidence are already low, and the last thing we need is further strain on the economy and the agricultural sector.”
The advisory panel was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in September 2018 and presented its report in May this year. It was approved by Cabinet on July 24, the statement said.
Additional reporting - African News Agency (ANA
