Free State Agriculture will oppose constitutional amendment

19 July 2021

"Property rights are inextricably part of human rights, and no state has the right to alienate people from it." This is the viewpoint of Free State Agriculture President, Francois Wilken, after the Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill, 2021, was published for public comment.

The Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill will enable the state to expropriate any land and its improvements for purposes of land reform without compensation.

According to Wilken, the adoption of this amendment will represent a watershed in the constitutional order of the country. This change will establish the principle that a citizen's property can be expropriated by the state without compensation. It is an injustice.

Arguments that owners will be protected from exploitation by laws, restrictions and processes do not hold water. "Irrespective of the risks established by the corrupt and falling state administration, property rights are a matter of principle and not a procedural matter. We need to protect it at all costs," Wilken said.

Free State Agriculture will therefore oppose the constitutional amendment during the public participation processes and, if necessary, do everything legally possible to stop the amendment.

Free State Agriculture also invites members of the public to oppose the amendment. The organisation has made available a web portal where the public can register their opposition. The link to the portal is: https://vrystaatlandbou.co.za/protect-your-property-rights/

Issued by Francois Wilken, President, Free State Agriculture, 19 July 2021