Accelerating land reform remains the government’s top priority, says Vice President Paul Mashatile.

The Vice President announced in Parliament on Thursday that in the last five years alone the Inter-Ministerial Committee (CIM) on Agrarian Reform and Agriculture, through the relevant state departments and bodies, has redistributed 305,990 hectares of land.

This includes 127,525 hectares allocated to women, 111,071 hectares to youth and 2,781 hectares to people with disabilities between 2019 and 2024.

Meanwhile, he said around 2.3 million people have benefited from land restitution, where a total of R25 billion was spent on the restitution of 3,972,331 hectares.

In addition, R22.5 billion has been spent on financial compensation for those beneficiaries who chose to receive financial compensation instead of transferring the land.

The Vice President was responding to a question from a member of Parliament from the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, who had asked him about his role in leading the government’s efforts to accelerate land reform and coordinate programs to accelerate land reform and agricultural support.

The MP asked whether the Vice President intended to facilitate the introduction of a bill by the government to amend Article 25 of the Constitution to give effect to expropriation without compensation instead of expropriation without compensation.

“As for the issue of introducing a bill to amend Article 25 of the Constitution, this is a matter for the structures of Parliament.

“Honorable members will recall that the sixth Parliament established the Joint Constitutional Review Committee, which held public hearings in all provinces of South Africa to obtain public input on the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution.”

The country’s second-in-command said this process culminated in the development of a bill that aimed to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation.

“However, the National Assembly was unable to pass this bill as its support fell short of the two-thirds majority required for the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.”

He told parliamentarians that the current constitutional framework provides for the expropriation of property subject to fair and equitable compensation.

“To this end, Parliament approved the expropriation bill which was sent to the president for approval. The bill provides for the expropriation of property for public purposes or public interest and related matters.”

He assured Parliament that he will continue the agenda of accelerating agrarian reform and land restitution.

“However, we are confident that once the President has completed his consultation process and approved the bill, the government will be in a better position to accelerate the pace of land reform, land restitution and sustainable development.” that will benefit all the people. of South Africa.” – SAnews.gov.za