[Published: Wednesday December 05 2018]
 South African parliament backs land reform report
PRETORIA 5 Dec (ANA) - South Africa's parliament has approved a report endorsing a constitutional amendment that would allow expropriation of land without compensation - a decision the main opposition party said on Tuesday it could challenge in court.
Land is a hot-button issue in South Africa where racial inequality remains entrenched more than two decades after the end of apartheid when millions among the black majority were dispossessed of their land by a white minority.
A parliamentary team last month recommended a constitutional amendment to make it possible for the state to expropriate land without compensation in the public interest.
The team's report was debated in parliament on Tuesday and approved by a majority of the members present. However, adopting the report is just one step in a long process to change the constitution to allow for land reforms.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who replaced Jacob Zuma in February, has prioritised land redistribution as he seeks to unite the fractured ruling African National Congress (ANC) and win public support ahead of an election next year.
But the main opposition, Democratic Alliance (DA), and some rights groups are critical of the government’s plans, saying it will jeopardise property rights and scare off investors.
"We support expropriation of land without compensation or zero rand compensation in the public interest," the ANC's Vincent Smith said during the parliamentary debate.(ANA)
FA/ANA/5 December 2018-------
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