Mabuza says investors should not worry about land expropriation
DEPUTY President David Mabuza has reiterated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s statement that there will be no land grabs in the country.
Ramaphosa told German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier this week that investors would not to have to worry about the expropriation of land without compensation.
In Parliament yesterday, during a question-and-answer session, Mabuza said the unfolding land reform programme would not hurt the economy.
He said everything would be done to ensure there was no disruption to agricultural production in the country.
The Constitutional Review Committee has recently adopted the report on the expropriation of land without compensation.
But AfriForum has gone to court to challenge the report and Parliament has indicated it will oppose the application.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said the matter will be heard in the Western Cape High Court on Monday.
Mthembu insisted that every process was followed to ensure the report was adopted by the committee.
The National Assembly will deliberate on the report in the next two weeks before it is approved.
The ANC has said the process will be finalised after the elections with the Bill to be adopted to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.
When MPs asked Mabuza about the impact this would have on investor confidence and the impact on the economy, he said South Africa needed to do this in a responsible manner.
“We interacted and engaged with various stakeholders.
“There is no doubt the expropriation of land without compensation has generated a lot of concern.
“There is one concern that this process will open the floodgates for land grabs.
“Another
concern
is
that
it
will cause a decline in agricultural output.
“Members can rest assured that the concerns raised with agricultural stakeholders will be addressed,” said Mabuza.
But AgriSA and Tau-SA have blasted the government on the report on the expropriation of land without compensation.
They promised to take the fight to the Constitutional Court.
Mabuza said that as the chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on land reform they were looking at land owned by government to be given to the people.
Mabuza also said Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan was cleaning up state-owned entities and he must be allowed to do so.
Gordhan came under fire from the EFF this week, but he called on the party to come before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture and state its case.
Mabuza said that some of the senior officials in entities like Denel, Transnet and Eskom have either resigned or have been fired. Others are facing disciplinary action over state capture.