Decision On Expropriation Expected On Tuesday

Parliament will decide on Tuesday if the Constitution should be amended, allowing for land expropriation without compensation.

Three years ago, the National Assembly adopted a report recommending the Constitution be changed.

Members of the National Assembly will on Tuesday afternoon consider and vote on whether to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation.

Any amendment requires a two-thirds majority.

The Economic Freedom Fighters want the wholesale nationalisation of land. The African National Congress sees state ownership and custodianship existing alongside private land ownership and communal land ownership.

The Democratic Alliance is against the move and Parliament Caucus Chairperson Dr Annelie Lotriet said they would oppose the bill and expected it wouldn’t get the required votes.

“Everything up to now shows they won’t get the two thirds. If they don’t get the two thirds, the bill falls away.”

Lotriet said should the National Assembly fail to pass it on Tuesday, the matter would fall away meaning the entire process would be wasteful expenditure.