With the issue of land expropriation without compensation now kicking into high gear, the ANC held a two-day lekgotla (that’s a ANC fancy word for a meeting – Ed.) and some ANC insiders who attended says they are going to introduce at least three more property laws to properly get their hands on property. In fact, they said, the expropriation constitutional changes are merely the a “guinea pig” scheme, the rest will be awesome.
Speaking to a Sunday rag, the insiders said that in addition to amending section 25 of the constitution to allow for expropriation without compensation, the ANC’s plans also include:
- A new land records bill aimed at documenting all land owners, and ensuring security of tenure;
- A new redistribution bill that would provide a framework for deciding who gets priority access to land; and
- Amending the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act to recognise those who have lived on a property for three years or more as de facto owners who cannot be dispossessed without their consent.
The ANC bigwigs are quoted by BusinessTech as saying the department of rural development and land reform had already identified 139 farms across the country that would serve as ‘test cases’. However, details about these farms, including whether they are currently occupied or productive, could not be established.
Earlier this month OUth African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced that the ANC would finalise a proposed amendment to the Constitution that outlines more clearly the conditions under which expropriation of land without compensation can be effected.
Lawmakers started a process to change the constitution to allow for expropriation without compensation in February after the ANC decided last year to adopt the measure to speed up giving black people more land.
While the constitution’s property clause currently allows the state to expropriate land with just and equitable compensation and also expropriate without compensation in the public interest “it has become patently clear that our people want the constitution be more explicit about expropriation of land without compensation, as demonstrated in the public hearings,” Ramaphosa said.
