Africa
South African Parliament on Wednesday denied rumours that it is now working on a motion to seize land from foreign owners.
“We are definitely not targeting foreigners in South Africa; This type of fake news, which can lead to all sorts of criminality.
“It can also lead to a downturn in foreign investment, which is critical for our development,” said Lewis Nzimande, Co-Chairperson of Parliament’s Joint Constitutional Review Committee.
A WhatsApp message that is spreading on social media warned that all non-South African citizens, who own property in the country, will be affected by the process allegedly undertaken by the committee.
“The land that you now own will be taken away from you. You will then have to apply for a 25-year lease to stay on your land.
“This will obviously come with a price tag. If your application is disapproved, you will have to vacate your property or face legal action. I ask every citizen to take action, before it is too late,” the message reads.
The message refers to the recent motion in Parliament where the Joint Constitutional Review Committee is reviewing section 25 of the Constitution (Property Clause) and other sections where necessary, to make it possible for the state to expropriate land in the public interest without compensation.
The National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces have mandated the committee to propose the necessary constitutional amendments, where applicable, with regards to the future land tenure regime.
“At this point, we are just establishing whether Section 25 of the Constitution is in need of amendment,” Nzimande said.
The fake message that continues to be spreading on social media is an attempt to undermine the committee’s work, he said.
Regarding the misleading information about foreigners leasing their own land from the government, Committee Co-Chairperson, Vincent Smith said “this is completely untrue.”
“No mechanism, criteria or conditionality has been established for land that is to be expropriated. That is all part of what we are currently looking into,” Smith said. (Xihnua/NAN)
