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Land hearings a key factor in decision to expropriate without compensation: Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa
Image: Esa Alexander

Comments‚ deliberations and demands made during national hearings were a key factor in the ANC deciding to go ahead with plans to amend the Constitution to allow land expropriation without compensation.

Speaking in a late-night message on Tuesday‚ ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the ANC will go ahead with the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution‚ known as the property clause.

He said this was prompted by the nationwide hearings on the proposal‚ which have been going on for the last three weeks.

However‚ Ramaphosa also admitted that Section 25 as it currently stood did allow for "expropriation of land without compensation in the public interest".

Said Ramaphosa: “It has become patently clear that our people want the Constitution to be more explicit about expropriation of land without compensation‚ as demonstrated in the public hearings.

"There is also a growing body of opinion in our country that the Constitution‚ as it stands‚ does not impede expropriation of land without compensation. The ANC Lekgotla reaffirmed its position that a comprehensive land reform programme that enables equitable access to land will unlock economic growth by bringing more land in South Africa to full use and enable the productive participation of millions more South Africans in the economy‚" Ramaphosa said.

He added that the parliamentary constitutional amendment committee that was conducting the land hearings will now finalise the Section 25 amendment proposal and determine how this would be implemented.

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