Heated debate in Westonaria over land expropriation

Residents residing in and around Westonaria, were given an opportunity to submit responses on whether or not section 25 of the constitution should be amended to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation. 

Farren Volgraaf, a resident of Toekomsrus on the West Rand, told the hearing thay she did not believe the constitution should be amended.

“I say don’t change section 25 before it is not necessary. The government is promising people of land out there. The government knows that the people of South Africa is not going to  be the rightful owners of that land. The government owns 20 million hectres of land, why don’t they start by distributing that land first.  If government will take the land from the people, they must start with Nkandla first,” she said. 

Some also questioned suggestions that the government become the sole custodian of the land.

But many expressed support for the idea of land expropriation without compensation.

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One of those residents was Thali Mbala. 

“I believe that the constitution must be changed because it cannot be correct that the land should be owned by some people and it’s not clear who exactly owns how much. Going forward, in changing the constitution, we should be clear who should own how much in the process of taking it from one person to another,” he said. 

The Gauteng hearings will continue in Vereeniging on Friday before the final one takes place in Pretoria on Saturday.

Chairperson of the Joint Constitutional Review Committee, Vincent Smith, said he is happy with the turnout.

He warned that the current round of hearings would be the final ones due to a shortage of venues. 

“Some people said come back next week. We simply cannot come back next week, we have Western Cape next week because we have a deadline,” Smith said.