CAPE TOWN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The South African National Assembly on Tuesday agreed not to approve the Expropriation Bill for land expropriation without compensation so that it may be re-introduced at a later stage.
The Portfolio Committee on Public Works recommended that the National Assembly not approve the Expropriation Bill, pending the conclusion of the process regarding the possible review of Section 25 of the Constitution to pave way for land expropriation without compensation, parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said.
The committee said earlier that it wants the bill to give more clarity on how South Africans should deal with the land and property issue that today the minority is still favored at the expense of the majority of South Africans, in particular black people.
The latest development came after Parliament's joint Constitutional Review Committee has just completed public hearings on whether a review of section 25 of the Constitution and other clauses is necessary to make it possible for the state to expropriate land in the public interest without compensation.
Minister of Public Works Thulas Nxesi tabled the Expropriation Bill in Parliament in February 2015. The bill went through all relevant statutory processes and was sent to the then president for approval. The former president returned the bill to Parliament on procedural grounds twice on July 20, 2016 and on Feb. 14, 2017 seperately.
As a national debate on land expropriation without compensation is gaining momentum, the government is advocating bold steps that will transform the economy including land ownership and reform.
Since taking power in 1994, the government, led by the African National Congress (ANC), has made land redistribution from whites to blacks without compensation one of its main policies.
Opponents say compulsory purchases of land would kill jobs and threaten food security.
Following the withdrawal of the bill on Tuesday, the ANC said it is committed to the expropriation of land without compensation.
"We are confident that the withdrawal of the bill, and its reintroduction, will align all necessary legislative processes Parliament needs to undertake in order to implement this important resolution," the party said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.
Section 25 of the Constitution is currently being reviewed by Parliament, which will add clarity to the issue of land expropriation without compensation, ANC spokesperson in Parliament Nonceba Mhlauli said.
"Therefore, the withdrawal of the Expropriation Bill by the Portfolio Committee on Public Works is logical, as it allows the legislature to focus on one process dealing with this important issue," he said.
