Draft Bill to amend Constitution for land expropriation expected in December
The Bill is likely to be published in the Government Gazette on December 10 before a public awareness drive starts.
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A draft Bill to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow land expropriation without compensation is expected to be open for public comment in December and January.
The Ad Hoc Committee to Initiate and Introduce Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution adopted its draft framework programme on Friday, committee chairperson Mathole Motshekga said in a statement.
The committee plans to hold a two-day workshop with experts on November 6 and 7 on land and constitutional matters.
Motshekga said the workshop aimed to have a constitutional dialogue on land ownership.
He said the committee would consider the invitation of a senior judge to chair the workshop to ensure fairness.
The list of experts who are expected to present at the workshop will be finalised soon.
According to the draft programme, the committee envisions to present a draft Bill on November 27, 2019 and have several sessions for MPs’ deliberations.
The Bill is likely to be published in the Government Gazette on December 10 before a public awareness drive starts.
The official call for public comments is expected to end on January 27, 2020.
According to the current framework, the committee is expected to have public hearings in February 2020.
“Public participation is a constitutional imperative. We will ensure that there is sufficient public participation. We will put the interests of South Africans first and we want to ensure that all South Africans participate,” said Motshekga.
“The committee wants to give everyone an opportunity to give an input, even those who have a different view. We will make sure that the interests of all South Africans are put first as it is, not just the interests of a section of the public.”
According to Motshekga, the programme is a framework at this stage, meaning that it can be changed as the committee deems fit. The committee intends to finish its work by the end of March next year.
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