CAPE TOWN, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Africans must put aside vested interests in carrying out land reform which has entered a critical stage, parliament said on Wednesday.
The interest of all South Africans must be put first amid the ongoing process to amend the Constitution to pave way for land reform characterized by expropriation without compensation, said Mathole Motshekga, Chairperson of Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee on Land Reform.
He was speaking after the committee held a workshop on constitutional review and land ownership.
The committee was mandated by the National Assembly to initiate and introduce legislation amending section 25 of the Constitution.
The purpose of the workshop, titled "Constitutional Dialogue on Land Ownership," was to gather insights from experts and stakeholders in order to gather information on how to draft a bill that will make it possible to amend the Constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.
"This lies at the heart of our nation-building project," said Motshekga.
It is unfair that 13 percent of the land is in the hands of the minority, he said.
Johann van der Westhuizen, Inspecting Judge from the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, appealed to everyone to listen to other parties, irrespective of their views regarding land expropriation without compensation.
Westhuizen, a facilitator at the workshop, was closely involved with drafting the Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights.
He was a judge in the Constitutional Court for 12 years.
At the workshop, the Parliamentary Legal Services gave the committee two ways in which the Constitution could be amended. Option one is to make sure that where compensation is payable, the amount of the compensation and the time and manner of payment must be just and equitable, reflecting an equitable balance between the public interest and the interests of those affected, with regard to all relevant circumstances.
Options Two is to insert a new subsection to allow land exproprition without the payment of any compensation as a legitimate option for land reform in order to redress the results of past racial discrimination.
During the discussions, the question of the cut-off date of 1913 for land expropriation should be removed from the Constitution as it would defeat the purpose of land redistribution, according to Motshekga.
He said the committee will finalize its work by the deadline of March 31, 2020.
Motshekga said he will call on all MPs to ensure that the views of all parties and stakeholders be taken on board.
"We (MPs) don't hold the monopoly on wisdom," he added.
South Africa's land reform has drawn ire from opponents, who argue that the process will drive away white farmers, threaten food security and negatively impact the economy.
The government has repeatedly assured that it will pursue the reform without destabilizing the agricultural sector, endangering food security in the country, or undermining economic growth and job creation.
