Land expropriation committee given two more weeks to wrap up work
Opposition parties object to delay
The parliamentary committee dealing with the proposed law to amend section 25 of the constitution has two more weeks to conclude its work.
The aim of the Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill is to amend the constitution to allow for expropriation of land without compensation.
The National Assembly’s programme committee decided yesterday that after threeand-a-half years since the assembly adopted an EFF motion to amend the constitution, it was time for that work to be concluded.
The decision was taken after opposition parties led by the DA voiced opposition to any further delays, especially deferring it until after the possible October 27 elections.
The assembly’s senior administrator, Masibulele Xaso, told the programming committee of informal talks to extend the section 25 ad hoc committee’s term by two months to November. Its mandate ends on August 30.
DA chief whip Natasha
Mazzone said her party members who serve in the committee had told her there was no reason it shouldn’t finish its work by next Tuesday.
“I am now getting a feeling … there is an intention to stall the outcome …until after the possible October 27 election. … this bill has a dramatic effect on all South Africans and the SA public has waited long enough.
“There is anticipation and anxiety in the air and I think we need to ventilate the outcomes of this bill and get this bill dealt with as quickly as possible.”
She was supported by Corné Mulder from the Freedom Front Plus, who is a member of the section 25 committee.
“We’ve been involved in this process for very long and the positions of parties is very clear,” said Mulder.
ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude proposed a twoweek extension, saying it had nothing to do with elections.
The ANC and EFF have fallen out on key clauses of the proposed amendments which exclude state custodianship of land. Without EFF support, the bill is unlikely to be passed.