Expropriation without Compensation

 

 

Dear members,

 

We wish to inform you that SAPOA is working with Deputy Minister Jeremy Cronin on the issue of Expropriation without Compensation.

 

We worked with Minister Cronin during the 2015 Parliamentary hearings with regards to the said Bill and he acknowledged the contribution that we had made in pointing out the practical implications with the implementation of sections dealing with jurisdictional areas, Magistrates Court Jurisdiction, Technical expertise requirements and time frames.

 

We find ourselves once again in a position where we have called on the Minister to inform him that SAPOA can offer valuable contributions around the issues that are to be dealt with in the amendment to the Expropriation Bill and that the land targeted for expropriation without compensation namely:

 

• Abandoned buildings;

• Unutilised land;

• Commercial property held unproductively and for speculative purposes or unutilised property owned by the State;

• Land farmed by labour tenants with absentee title holders.

 

The Constitutional Review Committee tasked by Parliament is embarking on a public participation process. 

 

The Constitution makes provision for public participation in the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces and requires committees to conduct their business in an open manner. 

 

We understand that advertisements for oral and written submissions will be published in April 2018 and the public will have a month to make submissions. 

 

Thereafter, the Committee will visit three to four districts or municipalities per province.  One group of the Committee will deal with public hearings in the inland provinces and another for the coastal provinces. 

 

Public hearings, which we will be attending to make representation, will then start on 08 May 2018 in Limpopo and the Northern Cape and will end on 22 June 2018 in the Western Cape. 

 

The Committee has until 30 August 2018 to report to Parliament. 

 

In light of what has been stated above, we will meet with Minister Cronin soon and we have also appointed a team of attorneys and an Advocate so that we can add further to the discussion and offer further suggestions on this rather sensitive but important issue.

 

Finally, we are also receiving reports that some of our members land has been invaded and we appeal to members to please inform us of any such incidences.

 

Please send all information to legal@sapoa.org.za

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