The chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee on amending section 25 of the Constitution, Mathole Motshekga says the South African Constitution does not allow for establishment of Bantustans or Volkstaats.
Motshekga was giving the closing remarks during the final Northern Cape leg of the public hearings on the introduction of legislation to amend Section 25 of the Constitution which deals with land expropriation.
The meeting was held in Springbok. Motshekga applauded the residents for making their submissions. Residents say the hearings afforded them an opportunity to air their complaints which included concerns about the possible establishment of white only settlements like Eureka in the Northern Cape.
Mathole had this response.
“We have noted tendencies to create Volkstaats and that is not part of our constitution. Our constitution provides for one South Africa and that’s what we stand for. The speakers that spoke here spoke for justice, and affirmative action and addressing the injustices of the past.”
Section 25 Bill will be open for public comment
The Ad Hoc Committee Amending Section 25 of the Constitution has reached a consensus that the draft Constitution 18th Amendment Bill should be published in the government gazette for public comment no later than December 13.
The object of the bill states that it seeks “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”.
Parliament’s Legal Advisor Charmaine van der Merwe says, “There is also a requirement that Provincial Legislatures must be given an opportunity to consider the bill… and the advice that will be given to the Joint tagging mechanism, and I believe that the joint tagging mechanism will accept, is that this Bill must also be referred to the National House of Traditional Leaders for input.”
