AfriForum to ‘warn the world over threat to SA’s property rights’

In a press statement on Wednesday, civil rights organisation AfriForum said they are planning to “launch a comprehensive international campaign to inform governments and foreign investors worldwide that property rights in South Africa are being threatened and that foreign investments in South Africa will also not be safe should plans for property expropriation without compensation be followed through”.

Their CEO Kallie Kriel said this campaign followed in reaction to yesterday’s approval of a motion in parliament that started a process to amend the South African Constitution to bring about expropriation without compensation.

The plan to hand over memorandums to the embassies of countries who are current South African trade partners as well as all other embassies to “address the threat to property rights in South Africa”.

They are hoping the international community will be able to pressurise the South African government not to amend the Constitution to make expropriation without compensation possible.

Kriel warned that if this was not successful AfriForum “will directly approach foreign investors, trade chambers and the World Economic Forum on a large scale to inform them that their investments in South Africa are not safe”.

“Although this will be a drastic step, it will be a necessary last resort to prevent that the South African government – through the disregard of property rights – destroys the country’s economy to the disadvantage of all in the country. As a responsible organisation, AfriForum must do everything possible to prevent South Africa becoming a second Zimbabwe, that is plunged into poverty, through the disregard of property rights,” added Kriel.

They warned that in addition to the destruction of South Africa’s economy, expropriation without compensation held the substantial threat that it could unleash conflict in the country.

According to Kriel, the cause of the threatening crisis is the fact that the ruling party, the ANC, has allegedly “turned its back on the protection of property rights”.