Home

Parliament holds hearings into proposal to amend Section 25 of Constitution

Parliament
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Parliament is currently holding public oral hearings into the proposal to amend Section 25 of the Constitution. This follows a request by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to allow oral submissions on the proposed constitutional amendment.

The Ad Hoc Committee handling the matter has received over 200 000 written submissions. It is currently processing the proposal to amend the Constitution to give effect to land expropriation without compensation.

There is currently a huge debate on the feasibility of the amendment. However, labour federation Cosatu says it supports the Amendment and Expropriation Bill.

“Millions of largely African, Coloured and women in South Africa remain landless. This is forcing millions to live in informal areas, backyard dwellings in our cities and towns. It is denying millions of rural residents and farm workers the opportunities to till the land and contribute to food security and reduce unemployment. This bill will capacitate the government to speed up land reform. It will end the days of land reform being held to ransom by exorbitant compensation demands. It will remove the need to compensate apartheid-era expropriations,” says Cosatu’s Matthew Parks.

 

However, there is a concern about property rights and threats to investor confidence.

Other organisations have pointed out that inadequate land reform was informed by corruption, incompetence and poor budgeting.

There is also concern that the amendment may lead to lower food security.

The proposed amendment is set to be finalised by the end of May.

Prof. Kotze outlines process to amend Section 25 of the Constitution:

Author

MOST READ