Land expropriation: After filibustering, CRC will discuss recommendations next week

After a morning of filibustering by parties opposed to the amendment of the Constitution to allow expropriation without compensation, the Joint Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) adjourned on Thursday without discussing its recommendations.

At last week's meeting, the committee worked through its draft report, detailing its work thus far. At the end of that meeting, co-chairperson Lewis Nzimande asked members to come with proposed recommendations.

After about two hours spent adopting previous meetings' minutes – a process which usually takes minutes – the ANC and EFF were ready to present their recommendations. The UDM's representative on the committee, Mcebisi Filtane, said he didn't have a written document, but he was ready to present his recommendation orally.

However, the DA, Cope and FF Plus said they were not ready and disputed that it was agreed that members must have their recommendations ready this week.

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After some toing and froing, the committee resolved to give members until 16:00 on Monday to contribute to the recommendations.

The committee further resolved to seek permission to have meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. On the first two days, the recommendations will be discussed and, on the last day, the report will be adopted.

Co-chairperson Stan Maila reminded members that, according to the committee's agreed-upon programme, the adoption date for its report is next Thursday, November 15.

The CRC 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 was necessary, to make it possible for the state to expropriate land in the public interest without compensation, and also to propose constitutional amendments where necessary.

The committee has already held hearings in all nine provinces and several days of oral submissions at Parliament and received more than half a million written submissions.