Webinar: Is the Expropriation Bill an effective tool for transformation?
Thursday 4 March 2021 from 13:00–14:00 (CAT)
PLAAS invites you to a webinar posing the question “Is the Expropriation Bill an effective tool for transformation?”. The webinar features:
- Shakira Qwabe – Activist, Tshwane Leadership Foundation
- Bonani Loliwe – Activist and Director of Vulamasango
- Michael Clark – Researcher and Activist, Ndifuna Ukwazi
The webinar will be chaired by PLAAS researcher Katlego Ramantsima.
On 9 October 2020, the Government of South Africa gazetted a draft Expropriation Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to repeal the existing Expropriation Act 63 of 1975. It also seeks to provide a common framework in line with the Constitution to guide the processes and procedures for the expropriation of property by organs of state. It also provides for instances where expropriation with nil compensation may be just and equitable. Importantly, the Bill provides for an appeals process for owners of expropriated property by following uniform and constitutional processes. Various interest groups challenged the publication of the Bill based on various concerns including inadequate public participation and failure to provide the relationship between this process and the ongoing process of amending Section 25 of the Constitution. The Bill was not enacted and an invitation was extended for public comment by 10 of February 2021, and a further extension to 28 February 2021. The Bill will now be debated and voted for in the National Assembly, and then the National Council of Provinces. The final step will be its ratification by the President. There are concerns that have been raised by different sectors of society. Some of the concerns are in relation to the provisions in the Bill, and also the neglect of key questions on equitable access to land and social justice, such as who should benefit from the expropriated land, gender equity, and ensuring transparency in the land delivery processes.
The webinar will explore the significance of the Expropriation Bill and the changes that should be made to the Bill to ensure equitable access to land.
This webinar will engage the questions below:
- What are the concerns of both rural and urban communities regarding the Bill?
- How should the land earmarked for expropriation in rural and urban areas be identified?
- Who should benefit from expropriation?
- How should expropriation be carried out and supported to ensure equitable access to land?
Tune in on Thursday 4 March 2021 from:
- 11:00 – 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
- 13:00 – 14:00 Central Africa Time (CAT)
Watch the webinar here: https://youtu.be/2CeJ_MF9SK4 Or scroll down to view it.
This webinar is part of the “Equitable access to land for social justice“ project which is funded by the Open Society Foundation and the Claude Leon Foundation.
