Section 25 Ad Hoc committee request for deadline extension a cause for concern
31 May 2021
Note to Editors: Please see the correct version of the statement which went out earlier. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned about the Section 25 Ad Hoc committee’s request to Parliament for an extension of today’s midnight deadline in which it was supposed to submit its final report. This extension is only being requested because the ANC and EFF cannot find common ground on extreme provisions, such as excluding the courts from adjudicating on land expropriation cases, which they are trying to smuggle into the amendment.
This standoff is completely unnecessary and could have been prevented had the ANC not succumbed to populist fervour and brought this ill-advised amendment to the Constitution Parliament. Instead of addressing its shortcomings in land reform, the ANC chose to scapegoat the Constitution and open the door to a belligerent EFF that wants to tear down the foundations of our democracy.
The DA continues to strongly reject the amendment of the Constitution because Section 25, as it stands, already provides sufficient room for land reform. The ANC, working in cahoots with the EFF, is attempting to use this ill-advised amendment to smuggle in provisions that not only violate the property rights of all South Africans but also their rights to equal protection under the law as enshrined in the Bill of Rights.