Cabinet aims to revamp expropriation plans

Government wants to revamp its proposed expropriation law to spell out the process under which land may be expropriated without compensation.

Cabinet hopes this will calm critics.

Land expropriation has grabbed headlines, most recently when Donald Trump tweeted about it.

Now in an ambitious plan announced by public works deputy minister Jeremy Cronin‚ the intention is to publish a redrafted bill by the end of the year – mainly to signal the exact process government would follow. The current bill‚ passed by parliament in 2016‚ provides for the expropriation of land for a public purpose such as building a road or dam‚ erecting a power line and for land reform.

It does not provide for expropriation without compensation. It is mainly about the process that should be followed to ensure an administratively just process.

On Tuesday‚ Cronin told MPs government wanted to send a clear signal to both those who thought expropriation without compensation meant there would be white genocide and to those who were frustrated by the slow process.

He said government wanted to take everyone into its confidence. The committee agreed to write to speaker Baleka Mbete to withdraw the bill.

The committee agreed to write to speaker Baleka Mbete to withdraw the bill