AfriForum and AfriBusiness host information session in Kimberley on land expropriation

AfriBusiness hosted an information session on land expropriation without compensation in cooperation with AfriForum on Wednesday evening, 18 April 2018. This session addressed the public’s need to obtain accurate information on the current process of legalising expropriation without compensation.

Armand Greyling, legal and policy analyst for AfriBusiness, warned people to participate in the public participation process of the Constitutional Review Committee by protesting the amendments to the Constitution. He said it should be made clear that expropriation without compensation was an injustice that was in no way justifiable.

Charles Castle, manager of the labour law advice unit for AfriBusiness, ensured the audience that AfriBusiness would not accept expropriation without compensation.

“Property rights have a past, present and future, and we therefore say no to the ANC and no to the EFF if they want to deprive us from that future. We are entitled to a sure and safe future. Expropriation without compensation is theft and it should be opposed.”

Marcus Pawson, AfriForum’s head of Environmental Issues, explained that the current narrative of white farmers owning 80% of South Africa’s land was false. He showed through the use of maps that a great part of the land was in fact owned by the State, and encouraged people to stand together in the fight against the injustice of expropriation without compensation.

Gonda Louw, AfriForum’s Regional Coordinator for the Kalahari, explained by way of a practical guide what to do if land occupiers trespassed on your property. The most important thing is to prevent it, and to do this, you should always know what happens on your land.

“We may and we should protect our property, and we should therefore be equipped. If this information sessions contributed to this, we have succeeded in our aims,” Louw said.

Join your local AfriForum branch: SMS “Noord-Kaap” to 45340 (R1).