Expropriation Bill Assault on SA Property Rights

Expropriation Bill Assault on Property Rights

A statement released by the Democratic Alliance (DA) this week calls for joint Public Works and Agriculture / Land Affairs deliberations on the government’s proposed Expropriation Bill. The statement also urges ordinary South Africans to “make their voices heard” during the public participation process.

19th May 2008 marked the start of a series of public hearings on the Expropriation Bill, with the hearings commencing in Beaufort West and then scheduled to continue across the country until the 18th of June. The DA is said to be doing everything in its power to ensure that the public is made aware of the details of these hearings, so that they can voice their opinions on a piece of legislation that promises to have a profound impact on the future of all South Africans.

The DA’s position on the Bill is clear: “While we wholeheartedly support a sustainable and equitable land reform process, we believe that the Bill in its current form will severely undermine just such a process and, even more seriously, will threaten the foundation of South Africa’s economic well being – the security of property rights”.

According to the DA, “the Bill constitutes a full-on assault on some of the most fundamental aspects of the Constitution and should be of concern to anyone – whether they be urban or rural, black or white – who currently holds a right in property or intends to do so in the future”.

Considering how important this legislation is to South Africa’s future economic well being, the DA is set to make a formal request that when the Bill comes before Parliament, it is dealt with jointly by the Portfolio Committee on Public Works, as well as that on Land Affairs and Agriculture.

This is mainly due to the fact that the Bill has enormous implications for the future security of property rights for all those who own property – in fact, it will have a particularly profound impact on the agricultural sector, at a time when increased inflation and soaring food prices have demonstrated how important it is to ensure that this sector is able to survive and thrive.

The success or failure of the land reform policies in South Africa will ultimately affect everyone and it will be disastrous for the country if we fail to undo the injustices of past land repossessions. However, it will be equally serious if the government were to put in place legislation that goes against the constitution and is a clear threat to the economic future of South Africa. The DA promises to do all in its power to prevent such a situation from happening and emphasizes that “the challenge is now for all South Africans who share this vision to make their voices heard”.

The information in this article is courtesy of a statement made by DA spokesperson, Maans Nel MP (“Expropriation bill a “full-assault” on property rights – DA”, Politics Web, 19 May 2008).

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