Parliament, Friday, 9 July 2021 – The Ad Hoc Committee to Initiate and Introduce Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution today resolved to readvertise a revised 18th Constitutional Amendment Bill for public comments. This follows after the committee made several amendments to the initial Bill that was subjected to an extensive public participation process.
Committee Chairperson, Dr Mathole Motshekga, said the majority Members of the committee agreed to a three-week process for written comments on the supplementary amendments.
During today’s meeting the committee deliberated clause by cause on the initial Bill that seeks to amend Section 25 of the Constitution that would allow for expropriation of land without compensation. During the meeting all the African National Congress (ANC) proposals were carried with favourable votes. The Democratic Alliance (DA), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) voted against the ANC proposals.
Dr Motshekga said this process was followed because: “When the committee agreed to the initial Bill prior to the public hearings, it was a compromised Bill purely to kick-start the process.”
In response to concerns that the committee was only mandated to amend specific clauses in Section 25, Dr Motshekga said: “Furthermore, the committee’s original mandate includes to amend the entire Section 25 and was not limited to certain sub-sections. The House (National Assembly) gave us a blank cheque and it’s only this committee that limited itself.”
Regarding concerns by some political parties that the committee needs to approach the NA before readvertising the supplementary Bill as the new amendments extended beyond the scope and mandate of the committee, Dr Motshekga emphasised that the new version of the Bill was merely a supplementary process in order to complete the work of the committee. The committee will advertise the new Bill in due course.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE TO INITIATE AND INTRODUCE LEGISLATION AMENDING SECTION 25 OF THE CONSTITUTION, DR MATHOLE MOTSHEKGA.
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Rajaa Azzakani (Ms)
Tel: 021 403 8437
Cell: 081 703 9542
E-mail: razzakani@parliament.gov.za
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