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Debate on land expropriation report expected Tuesday

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The debate on the Constitutional Review Committee’s land expropriation report will be held in the National Assembly on Tuesday. The report recommended that section 25 of the Constitution be amended to allow for land expropriation without compensation. Last week the High Court in Cape Town dismissed AfriForum’s urgent interdict to halt the debate in both Houses of Parliament.

The National Council of Provinces has re-scheduled its debate on the report to Wednesday. The report was opposed by the DA, FF-Plus,COPE, ACDP and the IFP.

Calls to amend section 25 of the constitution to allow expropriation of land without compensation started with an EFF motion brought by party Leader Julius Malema on the 27th of February this year, the same day when the founding father of the PAC Robert Sobukwe died 40 years ago.

The motion was supported by the ANC but amended it, to allow the Constitutional Review Committee to undertake review process,- instead of an Ad Hoc Committee as was initially proposed in the EFF motion.

Public hearings were held in nine provinces and oral presentations based on written submissions were held in Parliament. The final report was adopted on the 15th of November. But lobby group AfriForum unsuccessfully attempted to interdict the debate on the report. On Tuesday the committee will present the report to the National Assembly for debate. It will also seek the final approval of the House to endorse its recommendation that section 25 of the constitution be amended to allow expropriation of land without compensation.

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