Land ‘grab not that easy’, claims DA

Changing the Constitution to enable the Government to expropriate land without compensation, EWC, may not be as simple as the ANC and EFF think.
That was the word  from Diane Kohler-Barnard, DA Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister of Police and Sizwe Mchunu, the DA Member of the KZN Legislature and leader of the party’s Umzinyathi Constituency.
They were speaking at the sale kraal hall, that was packed with concerned farmers whose fears over land security were heightened by the recent ‘land list’ released by AfriForum which included 195 farms earmarked by the Government for expropriation.
The list included four farms in the Umzinyathi and Amajuba Districts.
She was critical of AfriForum’s list saying it created unnecessary panic, and also ostensibly foiled a possible sale of some of the mentioned land. She urged farmers to focus on their objective and to keep within the parameters of the law.
”Social media is a hotbed of rumours and ill-advised comments, and people should not be scared by it.”
The right to property is enshrined as a basic tenet of the Constitution.
This is jus cogens (unchangeable law) human rights law, and to change parts of the Bill of Rights, you will need a 75% majority (as opposed to a two-thirds majority in regards to changing administration and procedural matters) which the ANC with even the EFF and smaller parties on board, cannot achieve.

Sizwe Mchunu urged farmers to support their fight against the intended changes to the constitution, saying he does not want to see the future that was Mandela’s dream, becoming mangled by a government the people do not deserve.”

“President Ramaphosa is riding a knife edge at the moment with pre-election posturing, with the stormtroopers of the EFF creating the climate.
“People must see through the hype,” Ms Kohler Barnard said.
“This issue could swing the 2019 election vote in their, the ANC’s, favour if South Africans fail to step up to the plate and vote against it.”
Sizwe Mchunu urged farmers to support their fight against the intended changes to the constitution, saying he does not want to see the future that was Mandela’s dream, becoming mangled by a government the people do not deserve.”
Bond payments
On a question whether the government was negotiating with banks to take over bond payments, Ms Kohler-Barnard said it was highly questionable whether they could do it, and she was not aware of it. Speaking to the Courier, Herman de Wet, Dundee and District Farmers Union chairman said there had been many farmers whose feelings cannot be described when they saw their farm on the AfriForum list.

Department claims no truth behind ‘land list’ been circulated …

Land claim fraud | Northern KZN Courier – Dundee

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“There was a lot of uncertainty. Imagine someone publishing a list which includes the land on which you have made your living for years which is headed for expropriation?”
He said since hearing that a 75% majority was needed in Parliament to change the Constitution, farmers feel ‘a little better’.
He said there was ‘lots of hype around where people who are jobless think the Government is going to give them land for free’. ”This is not the case. What especially the EFF wants is to nationalize the land as in most cases in Africa and then let ‘farmers’ lease this back on a 99-year basis – so there is nothing for free.”
Mr de Wet said farmers should ignore the negative hype and rumours but admitted it is difficult to concentrate on producing ‘food and fibre’ or to think about making improvements to one’s land which may be under threat.