Government urged to give up its land

The parliamentary constitutional review committee heard yesterday that only land belonging to white people should be expropriated without compensation.

This is according to one of the hundreds of community members in Rustenburg who attended the North West leg of parliament’s public hearings on whether section 25 of the constitution should be amended to allow for land expropriation without compensation.

Kgomotso Khunou‚ who says he is a local activist‚ said the “general struggle” of black South Africans revolved around land.

“Any black person who thinks expropriation without compensation is wrong is [crazy]... 87% of land in the hands of the apartheid minority must be expropriated without compensation‚” he said.

“We don’t have land now. We must only expropriate that land... They did not buy land from our chiefs. Our greatgrandfathers are the ones who owned the land.”

Another resident‚ Rubosweni Mmelene‚ said he would support a constitutional amendment‚ but there was “too much corruption” in North West.

“I wanted to agree with the amendment but because of the corruption in this province‚ it is difficult. People are made traditional leaders when they are not‚ and this opens up for corruption‚” he said.

“Land must be expropriated, but only if it is done properly.”

Sheila Mabale-Huma said land owned by the government must also be given to citizens.

“The land belongs to all of us‚ black and white... The government must make sure all their land is also given to the people. They must give people title deeds‚” she said.