Rustenburg - Land in South Africa should be expropriated without compensation, speakers at the Joint Constitutional Review Committee's public hearing on amending section 25 of the Constitution said in Rustenburg, in the North West on Thursday.
The committee was instructed by the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces to ascertain whether a review of section 25 of the Constitution and other clauses were necessary, to make it possible for the state to expropriate land in the public interest without compensation, and propose the necessary constitutional amendments where necessary.
"I support the notion that section 25 should be amended so that land can be expropriated without compensation. The settlers never predicted that black people will unite under the constitution and undo the injustice of the past," said Reuben Mohulatsi, to a cheering crowd.
He said it was unlawful for the state to buy "stolen land".
"Land was stolen from our forefathers, we all know that buying a stolen property is unlawful," he said.
The Joint Constitutional Review Committee was concluding public hearing in North West on whether section 25 of the Constitution should be amended to enable expropriation of land without compensation.
Black First Land First (BLF) North West provincial chairperson Jerry Mngxitama told the hearing that section 25 should be amended.
"We say the land should not be paid by the government because it is our money that is going to be used. We believe that land that should be expropriated is the land in the hands of white people like your [South African billionaire businessman Anton] Rupert, like your [South African billionaire businessman Nicky] Oppenheimer and all other white people they have stolen our land," he said.
Black First Land First North West provincial chairperson Jerry Mngxitama says land should be taken without compensation but communal land should not be touched. Video: Molaole Montsho/ANA
"We are not going to pay for that land, they got that land through genocide by killing our people. We say as Black First Land First that hand-off the lands of our kings, avoid to take the land of our kings because we are not taking from black people because are the one who had lost their land. In fact the land should be expropriated from white people so that we give it to black to black people who are real owner and need it most."
There were mixed feelings on whether the land should be expropriated and put under the state, or traditional healer ownership; or be directly given to the people.
Meshack Tshipi said the land should be put under the care of the State and the State should redistribute it for residential or commercial purpose.
Tsietsie Mohulatsi said the land should be given directly to the people and not be put under the custodian of the state or traditional leaders.
While, Kgosi Thari Maotoe said the views of traditional leaders were that the land should be given to the people. He said traditional leaders in North West would make written submission to the committee through the North West House of Traditional Healers.