The ANC’s Economic Transformation head, Enoch Godongwana says the National Executive Committee will initiate processes to amend the constitution, to achieve land expropriation without compensation.
Godongwana was addressing the media in Nasrec, south of Johannesburg, on the international relations and economic transformation report. Godongwana says the expropriation should, however, prove to be sustainable.
Godongwana says the NEC must support an amendment of S25 of the constitution. However he says there are a number of factors that must first be considered.
The policy for expropriation must primarily be sustainable – and must not impact negatively on agriculture and food security, as well as other sectors.
“The financial conclusion is that we agree that the NEC will initiate some amendments to the constitution in order to achieve appropriation without compensation. But for that to happen it must be sustainable. What are the conditions for sustainability? Among those that have been narrated is that it must not impact on agricultural production, food security and impact on other sectors of the economy.”
Godwanga admitted that the issue of land is a contentious one that led to heated discussions. But he says the ANC will meet at a lekgotla in January to further explore the way forward. He reiterated that there are no timelines and that all factors must be taken into account, including the expropriation Act, the results of the land audit and the report on the land issue by Parliament’s high level panel on land.
Godongwana was also quick to point out that the organisation did not advocate the illegal occupation of land… he said anyone who attempted this would be arrested.
Other issues that came up in the discussion on Economic transformation include the role and mandate of the Reserve bank and development of small business and entrepreneurs.
Economic Transformation: Policy Discussions….
Click below as the ANC discusses the Economic Transformation Policy on the 9th of April ahead of the Policy Conference.
