The South Africa Institute for Race Relations (IRR) has handed over 200 000 signatures to Parliament, with names of people who are opposed to what they say are government’s attempts to undermine property rights.
This is part of the public submissions on the Constitution 18th Amendment Bill, which were initially meant to be sent by January 31.
The deadline has now been extended by another month.
The IRR says the signatures were collected through various platforms.
Thank you to all of you who have the best interest of South Africa at heart.
We have made sure your voice is heard in the fight to #StopEWC. pic.twitter.com/DLFPEaRFI3
— Institute of Race Relations (@IRR_SouthAfrica) January 30, 2020
“The Bill of Rights are the defining feature that changed the old South Africa to the new South Africa, making sure that the mistakes of the past really cannot be repeated. And yet here, we see the government and Parliament trying to repeat one of its fundamental mistakes. So, these 200 000 names are part of the process that the IRR engaged South Africans, in person, through speaking events, through smses, through letters, through e-mails, phone calls, our website, social media, making sure that this democratic debate can really take place. So, these 200 000 names, it’s democracy in action,” says IRR Campaign Manager Herman Pretorius, who handed in the signatures.
![[File] Residents of Eerste Fabriek informal settlement next to the Moretele River say they have lost everything during the floods on Monday.](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/SABC-News-Eerste-Fabriek-residents-R-2.png)
