Land expropriation: What we know
A heated debate on land expropriation without compensation is raging across the country – but what is the African National Congress (ANC) seeking to achieve?
The ANC announced on Tuesday that it will seek to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow government to expropriate land without paying compensation. This is markedly different than the current willing-buyer willing-seller model, where the government pays market-related prices for land.
The party says it will aim to use the Expropriation Act to transfer the 71% of land currently owned by white South Africans to better reflect the demographics of the country.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the ANC's Ronald Lamola said the party wants to transfer the land to dispossessed black Africans.
So here is what we know:
1. The party does not agree with the Economic Freedom Fighters' (EFF) call for the nationalisation of land. EFF wants all land to belong to the state. The ANC believes nationalisation of the land does not mean everyone will have access to the land, and it will dispossess those who already own land.
2. The party says dispossessed people to whom the land is distributed will have title deeds to the land.
3. Black people who already have title deeds to the land will not lose it. The party believes nationalisation of the land will further dispossess African people.
4. Individuals who own title deeds to houses will not lose them.
5. The party aims to start the process by expropriating land owned by the state. This includes agricultural and residential land. As well as land held for speculation, underutilised land or unused land with a productive potential, and land which is being degraded and hopelessly indebted land.
Where do we go from here?
In a late-night address on Tuesday, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said the governing party will turn to Parliament to affect their resolution.
It will also test any amendments made to the Constitution in the Constitutional Court to ensure its validity.
The party has come under fire for making its pronouncement before the conclusion of the public hearings into the possible amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution.
Parliament's Review Committee on Land, which is in charge of the public hearings, will hand its report to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete at the end of September.
The committee’s chairperson, Vincent Smith, explains what happens next.
Listen below: