Parliament’s Joint Constitutional Review Committee moves to Mpumalanga on Monday to continue the public hearings on the possible amendment to Section 25 of the Constitution dealing with property rights.
The Review Committee, made up of members of both Houses of Parliament is conducting public hearings after the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces adopted an EFF motion to look into the possible review of the Section to allow for land expropriation without compensation.
In a statement on Sunday, the Joint Constitutional Review Committee said had concluded the Limpopo leg of public hearings.
“The overall analysis of the four areas visited is that generally, the hearings have been successful,” said Committee co-chairperson Vincent Smith.
He said the attendance of these hearings by members of the public had been impressive in Limpopo and the Committee is hopeful that in other provinces the trend will continue.
“On behalf of Parliament, I would like to extend a word of gratitude to the people of Limpopo for having come out in their number to contribute to this important discussion of land,” Smith said.
He said the quality of arguments presented has set the standard for other provinces.
“The delegation has always maintained that this is not a referendum where it considers the how many people are for or against the amendment. What matter is the quality of arguments made and Limpopo has delivered valuable points of consideration for the committee to ponder,” Smith said.
“Those that support the amendment of Section 25 have largely based their argument on the need for redress for colonial and apartheid-era dispossession. Secondly, a strong belief that land holds the key to economic emancipation of a majority of poor black South Africans was also advanced,” he said.
“Thirdly, this group emphasised that landless people have the skill set to make productive use of land if they are to get it.”
Smith said those who were opposed to the amendment have generally raised concerns on the impact the possible amendment will have on the economic survival of the country.
“This is because they believe expropriation will drive away potential investors from the country. Secondly, they argued that the current constitution provided for the expropriation of land and that it was the lack of political willpower that has led to the failure of the land reform process,” Smith said.
Thirdly, this group believes that the amendment of Section 25 will threaten food security in the country. According to this group, the state should not be the custodian of land and people must own their title deeds.
Smith said the full Committee, on completion of the public hearings, will consider the merits of the arguments made and make its own recommendation for consideration by the mandating houses, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.
“The recommendation will be made by 28 September 2018,” he said.
