ANC not to nationalise land but to redistribute
The ANC will not nationalise land; it will hand over title deeds so people can own land, the party said on Tuesday.
The ANC decided at a twoday lekgotla to amend the constitution to expropriate land without compensation.
It resolved on expropriating land without compensation at its national conference in December and has been through an intensive process to decide whether an amendment to the constitution was needed.
After its land summit in May, the ANC said it did not believe the constitution had to be amended to expropriate land without compensation. However, head of its economic development subcommittee Enoch Godongwana said it is clear the majority of the people of the country want the constitution amended.
The party realised this as it observed the hearings by parliament’s constitutional review committee, now on the brink of wrapping up.
“It is very clear our members … were supporting [an] amendment and we are clear land must be redistributed to the people,” said NEC member Ronald Lamola. “It means we are going to take it and give it to people who are going to use it. We are going to give you title deeds. We are not nationalising the land of this country because if we do that we going to dispossess a black farmer and black people who have houses. We can’t nationalise houses of people.”
Godongwana said it is clear the majority of the people of the country were calling for the constitution amendment.
The decision has farreaching consequences for both the South African economy as well as its political space.
It comes after yet another quarter in which SA’s economy shed jobs – Statistics SA announced an increase in the unemployment rate on Tuesday.
And the move is set to further dent investor sentiment and confidence by local business in the economy.
However, it can be viewed as a decidedly political move to neutralise the EFF whose members have dominated parliamentary hearings on whether to amend the constitution.
Two months after the ANC took the decision on expropriation without compensation at Nasrec it partnered with the EFF in parliament to vote for a motion for the expropriation of land without compensation.
The EFF however, wants all SA land to belong to the state.
There has been intense debate inside the ANC about whether Section 25 of the constitution should be amended to expropriate land without compensation. There have been dissenting views inside the ANC and the alliance over whether it was necessary to amend the constitution to allow for it.
Ramaphosa’s investment envoy, former finance minister Trevor Manuel, said in June that explaining SA’s ongoing land debate to investors had been tougher than expected.