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Shivambu warns of possible extrajudicial process if politicians continue dilly dallying on the land question

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EFF Chief Whip, Floyd Shivambu, has  warned that people will embark on an extrajudicial process of land reform if politicians continue to fail addressing the land question.

Shivambu made these threats in the Ad Hoc Committee to Amend Section 25 of the Constitution to Expropriate Land Without Compensation.  He says the Constitution 18th Amendment Bill, which has been adopted in its current form, does not address the land reform question.

The  Ad Hoc Committee met to receive a draft programme, from parliament’s Committee Section,  on the dates  and process of publishing a new draft Bill for public comment, starting today (Friday). Shivambu is against the re-publishing of the Bill. He previously argued that the mandate of the committee was to report back  to the National Assembly,  as the public consultation process  and deliberations on the Bill have already been concluded.

“We also want to record as the EFF that  whilst we believe that the process was transparent and fair  and consistent with what Parliament has mandated,- we do not think that the draft bill is going to permit expropriate land without compensation. We think its a sell out Bill. We are just revolving round the same question that the ANC is failing our people and the ANC  will leave our people with no option but to engage in extra judicial process of land reform here in South Africa. So, whatever is happening now in South Africa will look like a picnic when the people now have to take land for themselves because politicians are failing to fulfil a historical mission through a constitutional means. So that is our recorded fundamental and primary categorical objection to the Bill in which it happen in which it appears currently,” says Shivambu.

Ad Hoc Committee Chairperson, Mathole Motshekga, told Shivambu that it was premature to suggest that parliamentarians have failed to address the land question. He says the publishing of the Bill for public comment is not the final process.

“Today we are just agreed on the process to go back to the public and we are going to get inputs. And after those inputs we will produce a Bill which I have no doubt  that will take this process forward and deliver a product that is in the best interest of all the people of South Africa, – both Black and White. So, it is premature to suggest tat people should take the law in their hands because Parliamentarians   are failing. Parliamentarians have not yet failed. Parliamentarians are hard at work. They have agreed on a programme and I have no doubt that programme will be followed and will produce the required results,” he says.

Freedom Front Plus Chief Whip, Corne Mulder, says Shivambu’s  threats of an extrajudicial  process of land reform could go against his oath of office. Mulder  is also not in support of the publishing of the Bill,  but disagrees with Shivambu’s comments.

“The fact of the matter is I don’t thing it is in order for members of parliament who swore allegiance to the Constitution,  to threaten with extrajudicial processes and basically to try and get the country into anarchy but no surprises there – we know where it comes from. Chairperson we obviously would also object to the Bill and note out objections to this. And we also believe that its outside of the mandate and its also outside the process but be that as it may – it should be then published as we agreed and I think we should give the public the opportunity to respond and then it will be up to Parliament to take the decision,” says Mulder.

Parliament’s Committee Section told the  Ad Hoc Committee that the new draft Bill will be published for comment and written submissions for the next three weeks. The Ad Hoc Committee has until the end of August to report back to the National Assembly on whether Section 25 of the Constitution will be amendment to expropriate land without compensation. It will require two thirds of the Assembly to vote in favour of amending the property clause (Section 25) of the Constitution.

The 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill to be re-published for written public comments:

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