Solidarity Movement welcomes questions from the Netherlands about expropriation of land
3 February 2020
The Solidarity Movement today welcomed the Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok’s request directed to the South African government to provide more information on the proposed expropriation of land without compensation.
Blok’s request for more clarity on the proposed amendment to the South African Constitution as well as the concerns associated with it was addressed to the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor.
This comes after the Dutch parliament last year passed a motion in which that parliament expressed its concern over the proposed land expropriation without compensation in South Africa. The motion also instructed the Dutch government to convey its displeasure about the matter to the South African government.
According to Jaco Kleynhans, the Solidarity Movement’s head of international liaison, the Movement held talks with six political parties in the Dutch parliament last year. The outcome of the liaison was that the motion was proposed by two parties and accepted by a majority of members of parliament. “Since then, we have been engaging with Dutch politicians on an ongoing basis to ensure their government would pressure the South African government as far as this matter is concerned.”