The National Assembly has agreed to establish a multiparty committee to introduce legislation amending section 25 of the constitution.

This is the next major step in the government’s push to allow for land expropriation without compensation.

The new committee will report back to the National Assembly by 31 March 2020, and will and be composed of 11 voting members and 14 non-voting members.

Voting members will be drawn from the African National Congress (6), the Democratic Alliance (2), the Economic Freedom Fighters (1) and other parties (2).

The 14 non-voting members of the National Assembly, will comprise of the African National Congress (2), Democratic Alliance (1), Economic Freedom Fighters (1) and other parties (10).

“The decision to establish such an ad hoc committee followed parliament’s adoption of the report of the Constitutional Review Committee on review of section 25 of the Constitution in December 2018,” states a parliamentary media statement.

“The report recommended that parliament amends section 25 of the Constitution to make explicit that which is implicit in the Constitution, regarding expropriation of land without compensation, as a legitimate option for land reform, to address the historic wrongs caused by arbitrary dispossession of land, and in so doing ensure equitable access to land and further empower the majority of South Africans to be productive participants in ownership, food security and agricultural reform programs.”

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