Authors of Section 25 in the country’s Constitution will have to take responsibility if land grabs take place

26 May 2016

The Expropriation Bill clearly has its origin in Section 25 of South Africa’s Constitution and those who have helped draft this Section and supports it, will have to take co-responsibility with the ANC should land grabs take place in South Africa, Dr. Pieter Groenewald, the FF Plus’ chief spokesperson on land affairs, said.

Dr. Groenewald said the FF Plus will vote against the Bill and was already opposed to it in the committee stage of the processing of the Bill.

He said the principle of expropriation is not strange. It is in place internationally where essential development has to take place, such as with the building of bridges and roads.

“In South Africa, however, the ANC government makes it a political issue. The ANC wants to abuse this Bill as an emotional political play ball on land. President Jacob Zuma falls in with the choir of the EFF which says whites have stolen land.

“In this way they are arousing emotions. It is in reality only a hidden attempt of land grabbing in South Africa.

“The preamble of this proposed law is Section 25 of the country’s Constitution. There are institutions who have said that they will oppose this law up to the Constitutional Court level. I want to ask them to do that.

“The Freedom Front Plus would like its concern placed on record so that the Bill can be brought in line with Section 25 of the Constitution. Then those who wrote Section 25 into the Constitution and supported it, will have to shoulder the responsibility together with the ANC, should there be land grabs in South Africa.

“The president had in reality said that he has a new Bill and which is with Cabinet, that places a restriction on land ownership. Through this the size of large farms will be limited to 5 000 hectares and enterprises such as plantations will be restricted to 12 000.

“About the rest of the land, it is clearly being said that it will be expropriated, and it will be this Expropriation Act that will be used to make land grabs possible, without any compensation for the owner. Those behind Section 25 will have to take responsibility for this,” Dr. Groenewald said.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus chief spokesperson: Land Affairs, 26 May 2016