Johnathan Paoli
Democratic Alliance (DA) member of the Land Reform and Rural Development Portfolio Committee, Mlindi Nhanha has hit back against the recent Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) declaration of considering changing the constitution in order to facilitate land reform.
Nhanha said on Monday that following reports quoting Minister of Land Reform, Mzwanele Nyontso, who declared his willingness to re-open attempts to amend the constitution to allow expropriation without compensation; he would remain against comments which he found counterproductive and contrary to the spirit of the Statement of Intent (SOI) which underpinned the Government of National Unity (GNU).
“The DA is committed to defend the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights in its entirety,” he said.
Nhanha said parliament already rejected proposals to amend section 25 of the constitution and that any attempt to re-open this matter would result in “economic instability”.
He said that any claim that s25 is a barrier to land reform is untrue, and that the current clause made sufficient provision for just and equitable land reform to proceed.
“South Africa needs a rational and pragmatic approach to land reform within the parameters of our Constitution. Meaningful redress can occur within this framework, as we simultaneously stabilise the economy and attract job-creating investment,” Nhanha said.
Nyontso had proposed to scrap s25 of the constitution in order to address land dispossession.
Nyontso said s25 needed to be scrapped in order to resolve the question of land redistribution, however, he confirmed that the party was not obsessed with expropriation of property without compensation.
The PAC, with one seat in Parliament, joined the Government of National Unity (GNU) after the ANC failed to achieve the 50% threshold in the elections on 29 May 2024. Nyhontso’s deputy is the ANC’s Chupu Stanley Mathabatha.
“Section 25 suggests that through the court processes or mediation some parcels of the land can be tested judiciously for transfer of ownership. They are aimed at the post-1913 Land Act and the apartheid-era forced removals matters,” said Nyhontso.
He said the issue could be facilitated by means of a plebiscite for the people of South Africa to approve or reject.
TheMminister confirmed that the PAC has already prepared a departmental strategy for the GNU to consider within the context of land dispossession, in order to illustrate a system which has resulted in vast inequalities in land ownership and rural development.
“Addressing these issues is critical to achieving social justice, economic growth, and sustainable development,” he said.
He went on to add that a plebiscite would enable communities to be involved in how the land question should be addressed and said the national dialogue would be convened by President Cyril Ramaphosa, which would allow the ventilation of how the land question must be addressed.
INSIDE POLITICS
