Parliament, Friday, 28 February 2020 – A delegation of the Ad Hoc Committee to Initiate and Introduce Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution today commenced with the public hearings in Mbombela in the Mpumalanga Province.
The delegation heard from many people during the hearings, supporting the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution to make it possible to expropriate land without compensation.
However, although the view for amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution was in the majority, the view against the amendment was also expressed and was based on grounds that an amendment will be detrimental to the economy of South Africa.
The purpose of the public hearings was clearly explained to the people as some of them felt that the exercise was a wasteful and fruitless expenditure on the part of Parliament, as they told the delegation that they had made their submissions to the Constitutional Review Committee last year.
The Leader of the delegation, Advocate Bongani Bongo, explained to the people that the mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee to Introduce and Initiate Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution is different from the Constitutional Review Committee one.
He said the mandate of the Constitutional Review Committee which existed during the fifth parliamentary term, was to establish whether Section 25 of the Constitution should be amended to include expropriation of land without compensation, while the mandate of the Ad-Hoc Committee to Initiate and Introduce Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution, is to gather inputs from the public on “how” the amendment must be worded.
Therefore, he said, the committee is collecting oral and written submissions from the public during the hearings to be held all over the country.
In order to amend the Constitution there must be public consultation on how the amendment should be worded to ensure that the amendment is a reflection of the views of the people.
The delegation will tomorrow continue with the Mpumalanga leg of the public hearings.
Details for tomorrow are as follows:
Saturday – 29 February 2020
Time – 11h00
Venue – Banquet Hall, Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, corner of Walter Sisulu Street and Wanderers Avenue, Middleburg.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE LEADER OF THE DELEGATION OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE, ADV BONGANI BONGO.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Sureshinee Govender
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 2239
Cell: 081 704 1109
E-mail: sugovender@parliament.gov.za
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