The names of 139 farms to be expropriated ‘can’t be made public’

Land expropriation without compensation will be handled confidentially between individual land owners affected and government, according to rural development and land reform ministry head Mashile Mokono.

Yesterday, Mokono could not confirm the claim that the Afrikaner lobby group Sakeliga has served the rural development and land reform department with an application requesting a list of 139 farms earmarked for expropriation without compensation.

Law and policy analyst at Sakeliga, previously known as AfriBusiness, Armand Greyling said his organisation had served an application requesting the department to provide the names of the farms.

But Mokono said this was “unlikely to happen”.

“Until the affected land owner has been served with expropriation notices, what they are asking for is unlikely to happen. We will deal confidentially with people on an individual basis and not as a group; it’s a matter which cannot be made public,” said Mokono.

Asked to clarify the criteria for expropriation without compensation, ANC national executive committee (NEC) head of economics Enoch Godongwana responded: “The criteria are currently under discussion because this is not yet a conclusive debate.

“It would be useful if the ANC NEC could discuss this broadly and take a firm position when it meets in September.”

Last week, the ANC resolved to select 139 farms to expropriate without compensation.

Greyling said: “We would like to inform the concerned landowners of this and assist them with the intended expropriation of their property. The ANC is busy making an enemy of landowners by unfairly targeting them. We will continue opposing this unconstitutional expropriation policy,” Greyling said.

Parliament’s joint constitutional review committee concluded its provincial public hearings at the weekend into whether section 25 of the Constitution should be amended to allow for expropriation of land without compensation.

A total of 34 hearings in all nine provinces of South Africa were held to listen to the diverse views expressed by citizens.

ALSO READ: Three approaches to land expropriation. Which one will SA pick?

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