Parliament, Saturday, 14 March 2020 – A delegation of the d Hoc Committee to Initiate and Introduce Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution in order to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation concluded the second leg of the public hearing in Gauteng where the residents emphasised their support for the amendment of Section 25.
The delegation appreciated the high number of residents who came to the hearing to share their views on the matter.
“We have seen a great number of people coming to participate in the process and give meaning to the motto of “Parliament of the people by the people.” The orderly and matured way that the hearings were conducted also bodes well with the principle of participatory democracy which is one of the anchors of the South African democracy,” said Dr Mathole Motshekga, the Chairperson of the committee and the leader of the Gauteng delegation.
The majority of contributions made during the hearings supported the amendment because it is about redressing the historical injustices of land dispossession of the black majority.
Furthermore, some emphasised that the amendment will unblock economic growth and promote transformation in general in South Africa.
The majority of participants reemphasised the urgent need to amend Section 25 of the Constitution and utilise the amended section as a tool to fight the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment.
Although the majority of the people supported the Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill during the hearings, however, some expressed their opposition to the amendment, arguing that the amendment will have a dire strain on the economy and food security.
The leader of the delegation, Dr Mathole Motshekga, highlighted that the Constitutional Review Committee which conducted public hearings during the fifth parliamentary term, and the current Ad Hoc Committee processes are distinct and both require separate intensive public participation programmes.
The delegation will today hold public hearings in Vereeniging City Hall as part of the public hearings in the Gauteng Province.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE LEADER OF THE DELEGATION, DR MATHOLE MOTSHEKGA
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