Deadline to comment on expropriation law extended

The Democratic Alliance has welcomed the extension of the public participation period on the controversial Section 25 Amendment Bill to 29 February 2020, which deals with narrowing laws around the expropriation of private property by governnment without compensation.

DA MP Annelie Lotriet they had always been of the view that the public participation period would have been severely curtailed by gazetting of the Bill in December, coupled with the festive season and the 31 January 2020 deadline.

“The DA unequivocally opposes the amendment of Section 25, the Property Clause, of the Constitution and we reject land expropriation without compensation. Section 25 is not an impediment to meaningful land reform, but rather the corruption, mismanagement, and lack of political on the part of the ANC government.”

She maintained that the DA-run Western Cape boasted a 72% success rate in agricultural land reform projects compared with an estimated 10% success rate nationally.

She called this “further proof that meaningful land reform is possible through a capable and competent government”.

Lotriet revealed that the DA’s online objection portal had already received thousands of objections from South Africans rejecting the proposed amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution.

“We urge South Africans to protect the Constitution and use this extension to come out in their numbers and voice their objections to this disastrous Bill.”