'Only expropriate white-owned land‚' hearing told

The parliamentary constitutional review committee heard on Thursday that only land belonging to white people should be expropriated without compensation.

This is according to one of the hundreds of community members in Rustenburg who attended parliament's North West leg of public hearings on whether section 25 of the Constitution‚ which deals with property rights‚ should be amended to allow for land expropriation without compensation.

Kgomotso Khunou‚ who described himself as a local activist‚ said the "general struggle" of black South Africans revolved around land.

"Any black person who thinks expropriation without compensation is wrong is [crazy] ... 87 percent of land in the hands of the colonial apartheid minority must be expropriated without compensation‚" he said.

"We don't have that land now. We must expropriate that land only ... They did not buy land from chiefs. No chiefs bought the land. Our great-grandfathers are the ones who owned the land."

Another resident‚ Rubosweni Mmelene‚ said he wanted to support a constitutional amendment‚ but there was "too much corruption" in the North West.

"I understand 87 percent of land belongs to whites. I want to agree with the amendment but because of the corruption in this province‚ it is difficult. People are made traditional leaders when they are not‚ and this opens up for corruption‚" he he further added.

"Land must be expropriated but I only agree if it is done properly."

Sheila Mabale-Huma said land owned by government must also be given to citizens.

"I support the amendment. The land belongs to all of us‚ black and white ... The government must make sure all their land is also given to the people. They must give the people title deeds‚" she lamented.