Problematic laws passed by parliament since the advent of democracy in 1994 could soon be repealed or amended if the majority of citizens feel they should.This was the message delivered in East London yesterday by the country's former deputy president, Kgalema Motlanthe, who now chairs an independent "high-level panel on the assessment of key legislation and the acceleration of fundamental change".The panel, established by the Speakers' Forum, a structure of parliament and the provincial legislatures, was appointed in January to assess the effectiveness of key laws passed since democracy.Yesterday the panel kicked off countrywide public hearings in East London, where more than 2000 people voiced their displeasure or support for a range of laws that have come into force since 1994.Motlanthe yesterday said the mandate of his panel was to investigate the impact of legislation on four areas:The challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality;Creation of wealth and its equitable distribution;Land reform, restitution, redistribution and rural development; andSocial cohesion and nation-building...