AfriForum submitted written commentary to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, against the Expropriation Bill B 23-2020. AfriForum argues that this Bill should not be adopted, seeing as its adoption will have a devastating impact on all South Africans’ lives in the contexts of home ownership, food security, and economic stability. Various sections of the Bill are also unconstitutional. The Bill’s “Expropriate now, argue later” approach is a complete consolidation of government power to confiscate property, without judicial oversight.

“Lawmakers are currently sitting with their finger on a red trigger that will ruin the economy, cruelly deprive citizens of their property without judicial oversight, and destabilise the banking sector. The Bill is not restricted only to farmland. It extends to all forms of property. Any claim that this Bill’s purpose is to “right the wrongs of the past” deserves to be written off as pure propaganda. The purpose of this Bill is to give the government the unrestricted power to be able to confiscate your property, simple as that,” says Ernst van Zyl, Campaign Officer for strategy and content at AfriForum.

The Bill was published in October 2020 and brought before Parliament and relevant committees to discuss its constitutionality and mandates. The Bill was open to comments from the public, with an initial closing date for the submission of commentary of 10 February this year later being extended to 28 February.

AfriForum continues its long battle against expropriation without compensation and encourages its members to support them in this fight by submitting commentary against the Expropriation Bill. AfriForum created a platform to facilitate the commentary process. Complete the form on the website to send your comments directly to Parliament: https://www.onteiening.co.za/en/stop-expropriation-without-compensation/

Read AfriForum’s commentary to parliament here.