The Expropriation Expert Group, founded in 2013 as a collaborative effort of the universities of Cape Town, Groningen, and Nijmegen, is inviting original and innovative contributions to our sixth international conference and the fourth part of our Rethinking Expropriation Law series.
Government vows to speed up return of confiscated farmland
The expropriation of land without compensation is dominating debate on land reform, but speakers at a conference on land reform on Wednesday said there are deeper and more imperative challenges to tackle to ensure South Africans access to land.
After a technical break, the seven-member Land Inquiry 2017 Commission headed by Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemereire handled two big cases from July 24 –28.
Let me have land for land, not money: oustee
The discussion on compensation against land taken for digging a canal between the proposed Mallannasagar and Mid Maneir witnessed outburst from the farmers.
“I have 34 guntas of land and more than half of it would be wiped off in canal digging under the Kaleswaram project. The remaining would be divided on either side of the canal. We were not yet informed how much land would remain with us. Probably 10 guntas? How could I cultivate that on a divided land?” asked emotionally charged T. Shobha, a farmer from Rajakkapet.
The proposed amendment of article 26 of the Constitution to allow government take possession of private land without prior compensation continues to fiercely divide opinion in parliament.
By: Socorro Leite, National Director, Habitat Brazil
Date: August 5th 2016
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
