#SOUTHAFRICA: ANC Defends Process Of Amending Constitution To Take White-Owned Lands

[world politics news]

The ruling African National Congress is dismissing accusations by opposition parties that the process which led to the adoption of a draft report by members of Parliament on changing the Constitution to explicitly provide for land expropriation without compensation was "a sham."

The Constitutional Review Committee adopted recommendations that Section 25 of South Africa's founding document be amended to allow for white-owned lands to be confiscated by the government and redistributed to the majority black population.

Calling land being taking away from blacks by historically white majority governments the nation's "original sin, ANC MP Vincent Smith denied the process was a sham. "It's not about electioneering," he said. "It's about listening to the voices of South Africans and by doing what we doing we actually meeting the expectations of South Africans."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#SOUTHAFRICA: Chaos Among White Farmers As Gov't Begins "Test" Land Seizures

[world politics news]

There is chaos building among white South African landowners, as the ANC government begins large-scale seizures of land at a fraction of their value. The seizures are a test, of sorts, ahead of a constitutional amendment that would allow the government to seize white owned property at no cost, and redistribute it to black South Africans. The government's action has caused panic in the country's stock market, and fear among the white minority.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHAFRICA: Taking Land From Whites Without Compensation Must Be Law, Pres. Ramaphosa Tells Parliament

[world politics news]

Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa has called for the ruling African National Congress to amend the constitution to allow land grabs from white farmers without compensation. Ramaphosa was making good on a campaign promise to return the lands owned by the whites since the 1600s to the country's black population. Economists fear a food production crisis if large commercial farms are seized, similar to one that gripped neighboring Zimbabwe when land appropriation plan was imposed in 1999.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#AUSTRALIA: Home Affairs Min. Dutton Says Australia Should Open Doors To White S. African Farmers

[world politics news]

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said he was exploring giving South Africa's white farmers access to fast-track visas on humanitarian grounds, after that nation's parliament had begun discussing taking white farmer's land without compensation. The new South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has faced a torrent of criticism for earlier remarks about taking land by force. He seeming backtracked after severe international criticism, saying this week, "We will not allow land grabs. We will not allow land invasion - because it is illegal. It begins to violate rights of other South African citizens."

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHAFRICA: White Farmers To Have Land Confiscated Under Constitutional Amendment Plan

[world politics news]

White South African farmers will be removed from their land after a landslide vote in parliament. The country's constitution is now likely to be amended to allow for the confiscation of white-owned land without compensation, following a motion brought by radical Marxist opposition leader Julius Malema. It passed by 241 votes for to 83 against. The policy was a key factor in new president Cyril Ramaphosa's platform after he took over from Jacob Zuma in February. The same policy in Mugabe's Zimbabwe led to mass famine and economic collapse.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHAFRICA: Pres. Zuma Seeks To Replicate Zimbabwe By Taking White-Owned Lands

[world politics news]

Pres. Jacob Zuma says he will lead an effort to take "land back to the people," and part of this plan involves taking white-owned properties without compensation. It's a policy reminiscent of Pres. Mugabe's Zimbabwe, whose actions have made that nation an economic ruin, but Zuma insists it will transform the economy, and recently sent the Land Expropriation Bill back to Parliament for further consideration. The bill was passed by Parliament in May last year, but requires the government to purchase property on reasonable terms.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#NAMIBIA: Christian Democrats Eye #Zimbabwe-Style Forced Land Redistribution Plan if Elected

[world politics news]

Namibian Christian Democratic Party Pres. Gothard Kandume urges radical land reform