Expropriation: Another land reform bill in the works

Parliamentarians heard plans for another bill aimed at addressing the land question in South Africa.

The Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development (LRRD) was on Wednesday briefed on a new bill that the LRRD department wishes to table in parliament by the end of the year.  

Labelled the Equitable Access to Land Bill, it is still in its infancy, but the department has set timelines for its implementation.

‘Tabled in parliament by October’

The wording of the bill was not disclosed, but the department used a 1997 white paper on land policy and provisions of the Land and Assistance Act of 1993 as a foundation for pushing the bill through.

As per the department’s presentation, the bill aims to define land accessible by the state, land accessible by citizens and the identification and selection of beneficiaries.

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Provision of the bill listed in the presentation include the establishment of a land tribunal and a register of agricultural land.

Additionally, the bill aims to establish land ownership ceilings and notification of present land ownership.

The department detailed a timeline for getting the bill passed, beginning with cabinet approval for comment by March and publication for comment by May.

Thereafter, the department aims for “Office of Chief State Law Advisor final certification” by July before Nedlac deliberations and tabling in parliament by August and October, respectively.

Above: The cover slide of the presentation heard by the Portfolio Committee. Picture: Supplied

‘In line with demographics’

If eventually passed, the bill will add to the 20 Acts already focused on land reform.

The portfolio committee is chaired by the IFP’s Mangaqa Mncwango and features uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party’s Andile Mngxitama among its prominent members.

The department argued on Wednesday that there were gaps in land reform legislation and that a definition of equitable access was not clear.

Attempts were made to contact Mncwango through his party’s spokesperson on Thursday morning, but no response was available by the time of publication.

Also on the committee is Freedom Front Plus’ Wynand Boshoff, who had reservations about who the bill may target.

“The objective of the Bill is to bring landownership in line with the country’s demographics using race as basis,” stressed Boshoff.

“Very few details are available as yet, but the objective is clear. Neither the department nor the portfolio committee has tried to hide the fact that this Bill is aimed at white landownership.”

“The FF Plus wants to encourage everyone with an interest in landownership to be prepared. It seems as if the ANC wants to use this to rise to the MK’s challenge to move as fast as possible,” Boshoff concluded.

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