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Land hearings off to a good start in Vereeniging

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The Constitutional Review Committee Public Hearings into whether Section 25 of the Constitution should be amended have gotten off to a smooth start in Vereeniging, Gauteng.

This is the second leg in Gauteng after an emotionally charged day in Westonaria, West of Johannesburg, on Thursday.

In Vereeniging, people from all walks of life are sharing their views on the matter regarding land expropriation at the Vereeniging Civic Centre.

Many are of the view that section 25 should be amended to allow for land expropriation without compensation.

A 68 year old woman from Thokoza, east of Johannesburg, says: “The Constitution should be amended, but we also want title deeds.” She says she has been staying in her house for 28 year but is yet to get a title deed.

Others have a different view, like a farmer who says the hearings are a political gimmick. He says farmers need compensation and are willing to share skills.

“The Constitution allows for expropriation, but there is a lack of political will, you guys (politicians) must stop fooling the people into thinking they will get land because it is the state that will own the land.”

Another, a young woman from Sebokeng says they are forced to work minimal jobs because they don’t have land. “We are cashiers at supermarkets, petrol attendants at garages because we do not have land – iskhathi simanje, umhlaba mawubuye (the time is now, our land must return to us.)

Parliamentary Constitutional Review Committee chair Vincent Smith has reiterated that members of the public must focus on the matter at hand, whether an amendment is needed on Section 25 of the constitution. But some have been causing issues of service delivery failure in their communities.

The hearings in Vereeniging will continue until 16h00. Saturday will be the last leg of the Gauteng hearings in Pretoria West.

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