Parliament is expected to debate whether the Constitution should be amended to allow expropriation without compensation between November 26 and 28.

The Joint Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) met on Thursday to discuss its programme and elected African National Congress MP Stanford Maila as chairperson.

This, after Vincent Smith stepped down as chairperson of the CRC and other committees last month, after News24 revealed that he received payments of R670 000 from contractor Bosassa. Smith said the money was a loan.

The committee is expected to hold hearings at Parliament on October 25 and 26 to listen to oral presentations from members of the public who indicated on their written submissions that they would like to address the committee. This excludes political parties and individuals not representing a constituency.

The committee identified 18 people to make oral submissions, but the list could grow by a few names because the committee secretariat is still trying to get hold of some people who made submissions.

Co-chairperson Lewis Nzimande said the committee would finish its report by November 15, after which it would be debated and voted on between November 26 and 28.

"No extensions anymore. We conclude this thing end of November," he told the committee.

The National Assembly and National Council of Provinces instructed the committee to establish whether a review of Section 25 of the Constitution and other clauses was necessary to make it possible for the state to expropriate land in the public interest without compensation, and also to propose constitutional amendments where necessary.

The committee has already held hearings in all the nine provinces and a week of oral submissions was held last month in Parliament.