COVID-19 affects SA plans to reclaim land

South Africa land expropriation programme

South Africa land expropriation programme

by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) FOLLOWING the increasing cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19), South Africa has postponed public hearings on plans to expropriate of land without compensation.

The Ad Hoc Committee to Initiate and Introduce Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution made the announcement.

This is in line with prohibition of non-essential gatherings of 100 people or more, as among measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday.

“It is in the interest of all South Africans to postpone the hearings until further notice,” committee chairperson, Dr Mathole Motshekga, said on Monday.

He said up to now, the committee had seen hundreds of people attending each session at the public hearings.

“It is clear the need for land is urgent and huge crowds attend,” Motshekga said.

“In light of this, we are mindful not to expose more South Africans to COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.”

The committee was due to hold public hearings at Parliament from Tuesday.

It has already held hearings in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Mpumalanga and North West Provinces.

South Africa had at the beginning of the week confirmed over 60 cases of COVID-19.

Ramaphosa announced it a national disaster.

The country seeks to expropriate and redistribute land to address skewed ownership that dates back to the apartheid regime.

– CAJ News

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