The civil rights organisation AfriForum submitted a formal request to make an oral submission to the parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing Section 25 of the Constitution.
Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, writes in a letter to Vincent Smith, Chairperson of the committee, that AfriForum represents more than 200 000 members of the public as members of the organisation, that these members own property and that they are extremely worried about government’s proposed plans expropriate property without compensation.
Roets says that AfriForum views expropriation without compensation as ahistorical because it is based on a distortion of the past; that it is dishonest because it relies on a fraudulent state audit; that is destructive because it targets property rights, despite the protection of property rights being the cornerstone of economic growth; that it is racist because it is obviously driven by an underlying racist motive; and that it will come down to theft if the property of lawful owners are expropriated.
AfriForum has already stated that the organisation considers taking legal steps to declare the process that is being followed to amend Section 25 of the Constitution unjust because of procedural irregularities. The organisation will still participate in the process, however, with the aim of laying important facts on the table. AfriForum has already submitted to Parliament by hand a memorandum on expropriation without compensation as well as a petition signed by about 250 000 members of the public. The organisation also stated that it would participate in the public participation process in this regard.