Not necessary to amend Section 25 to expropriate property‚ review committee hears

Parliament's constitutional review committee heard on Thursday that Section 25 of the Constitution need not be amended for land to be expropriated.

The committee began the first leg of its public hearings for Gauteng on Thursday‚ with hundreds packing into a community hall in Westonaria.

The hearings focus on whether Section 25‚ which deals with property rights‚ should be amended to allow for land expropriation without compensation.

One of the first arguments was delivered by community member Isaac Mojawesi‚ who said government should rather improve its policy implementation before any amendment is made.

"Already Section 25 is capable enough to allow for expropriation. If government followed the right procedures‚ people will have their land‚" he said.

"Government needs to give people the skills and the money rather than to come and fight in this racial issue. Let us unite South Africa."

But not everybody shared the same sentiment.

Jacob Gumede‚ who introduced himself as an EFF member‚ said land expropriation without compensation should be "done now‚ not later".

"The land issue is a historical problem... Then [Nelson Mandela] created a platform to say we must go around the table. But white people do not want to give us the land‚" he said.

Community members who attended the hearings were asked to leave once they had their opportunity to speak as hundreds more were left queuing outside the hall waiting for a chance in front of the microphone.

The public hearings will continue in Vereeniging and Pretoria on Friday and Saturday respectively.