Only land stolen from black South Africans during apartheid and unfairly transferred to white beneficiaries should be expropriated without compensation as restitution to black apartheid victims.
This is one of the submissions made by the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) to the Constitutional Review Committee‚ which is looking at expropriation of land without compensation as mandated by Parliament.
“As one of the oldest black business organisations in South Africa‚ Nafcoc categorically states that we are opposed to any attempt to remove black property rights under the proposed “Expropriation without Compensation” (EWC)‚ and that land stolen by apartheid from black South Africans and unfairly transferred to white beneficiaries‚ must be expropriated without compensation for restitution to black apartheid victims‚" Nafcoc chairman Lawrence Mavundla said.
Nafcoc said expropriation without compensation against black people did not end with apartheid but occurred on a daily basis to this day.
“Expropriation for public works‚ such as roads‚ dams‚ harbours‚ power stations‚ parks‚ schools‚ nature reserves happens continually.
“White-owned land in the path of expropriation has always been and still is fully compensated for‚ because white people had and have full constitutionally-protected freehold ownership.”
Nafcoc said most whites also had the wealth with which to defend themselves in court‚ while “most black people do not”.
Nafcoc said what had to change was the opposite of what was proposed‚ namely that land and all property held by black people should become fully owned and protected against expropriation without compensation.
The organisation said one immediate means of restitution was giving title deeds to the millions of black citizens living as tenants on municipal land.
“Address this first – before EWC. End apartheid dispossession and create more black than white landowners.”
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