VEREENIGING. – The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio on Infrastructure Development & Property Management committee recently convened a public hearing on the Expropriation Bill at the Civic Hall in Vereeniging.

The committee is currently carrying out a series of public hearings across the 5 Regions in Gauteng, in an effort to solicit public input on the Expropriation Bill. The meeting was led by the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Infrastructure Development & Property Management Bones Modise.

The meeting started with a presentation by Joe Lekala from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. Lekala gave an overview of the Expropriation Bill from 1975 which currently stands as law as well as the Expropriation Bill [B23-B-2020], which if passed will come into law.

Lekala said that the Expropriation Bill from 1975 is flawed in that it is a law that was enacted before 1994. “Naturally, when the Constitution came into operation, a lot of problems were identified. However, in the Interim, while the current bill has not been passed into law, courts have used the 1975 Expropriation Bill in harmony with the expropriation provisions of section 25 of the constitution as the supreme law of the land.”

Following the presentation, residents were given a chance to give their views and also ask questions on the Expropriation Bill.

Councillor Smith from Ward 25 in Emfuleni Local Municipality asked if the bill was just not another way for the government to get more land. He said that many farmers had not been given title deeds to their farms despite having been given land by the government. He further highlighted that most black farmers in Ward 25 had not been given the support or resources needed to run those farms and were struggling.

Westside Park resident, Matshidiso Lephoto said that they were promised land by the government, and that never materialized.
“We still live in shacks even today, despite having been promised that we will be given land. How long must we live in shacks before we are given land,” she said.

DA Councillor Dady Mollo called for the government to start dealing with the land that it already owns before moving to the expropriation bill. “The government owns thousands of hectares of land. My question is, why don’t we first use that land,”

Modise explained that the event was meant for the public to submit their opinions on the proposed bill. He thanked all participants for sharing their frustrations.

He said that it was important for the committee to capture the mood of all the people in Gauteng. He said the committee consists of members of various political parties but stands as one representative of the Gauteng Legislature. Addressing some of the problems raised against the Emfuleni Local Municipality, Modise said the committee would find a way to address them.

Sedibeng District residents can still make their written submissions.