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The IFP notes with serious concern the rushed report adopted by the Constitutional Review Committee today on amending Section 25 of the Constitution to allow for Land Expropriation without compensation.

We are dismayed by the fact that the committee missed a good opportunity that should have united our country and addressed the wounds of the past. The attitude expressed by certain political parties within the committee and throughout the deliberations has shown that they truly don’t care about the ramifications that this amendment to the Constitution may have on all South Africans.

It is indeed a sad day for our democracy as the ANC, EFF, UDM and NFP have colluded to push through an unfinished report, without considering the over 600 000 written submission made to Parliament which clearly were against expropriating land without compensation.

It is wholly untrue that those who are opposed to the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution are against land reform.

Every person who participated in this process agreed to the expropriation of land, in the public interest but the major differences highlighted was on the compensation part.

The IFP’s position has always been that land must be expropriated but with reasonable compensation and with improved government policies to speed up land reform and redistribution processes.

The IFP’s recommendations in the committee included, but not limited to the following:

• Government should first clarify the process as to how land will be managed and the qualifying criterion as to how the same land will be redistributed.

• The state should first have demonstrated its ability by redistributing the land which currently lies under the ownership of the state.

• There are many farms that were given to communities and those communities were never supported, as a result those farms are no longer producing. We recommend that as a start, government should first address the existing challenges with land redistribution and the policies which enable the state to implement its programmes of land redistribution.

• Government should produce clear legislation and policies that will give effect to the very section without having to amend the Constitution.

The IFP will work with every organization we believe are pursuing a noble cause that will advance the interests of all South Africans.

Issued by The IFP