The National Freedom Party (NFP) says the amount of time allowed for public comment on the 18th Amendment Bill of the Constitution is not adequate as it straddles the festive period.
Parliament published the Bill in the government gazette for public comment on the 13 of December 2020.
The public have also been invited to make written submissions until the end of January.
The Bill seeks, quote: “to amend section 25 of the constitution, to ensure that the right to property may be limited in such a way that, where land is expropriated for land reform, the amount of compensation may be nil”.
NFP MP Achmed Shaik-Emam says: “Let us welcome the process however our concern as the National Freedom Party is the timing, particularly during the festive period. Now how many people,-particularly the poorest of the poor who are directly involved in these, will have the opportunity to participate in the process with the deadline just looming a month away.”
“But very importantly you know, we have repeatedly called for a moratorium on the sale of all land while this process is being conducted. And that has not happened. That is why you find particularly in the Western Cape, prime land continues to be disposed of by the provincial government.”
