Posted on 05/28/2016 3:26:36 PM PDT by dontreadthis
South Africa’s parliament has approved a bill that would see the government make compulsory land purchases from rich whites and redistribute it more fairly to address racial disparities, two decades after the fall of apartheid. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has the August elections to consider, and the party has promised to ramp up the series of measures with its Expropriation Bill, South Africa’s Mail & Guardian reports.
Having passed the National Assembly, which added changes on Thursday, the bill will now head to President Jacob Zuma’s desk for signing.
The bill combines a series of measures that would see the land expropriated “in the public interest” and “for public purpose,” and has passed with both the ANC and several opposition parties voting in favor.
"The passing of the bill by parliament is historic and heralds a new era of intensified land distribution program to bring long-awaited justice to the dispossessed majority of South Africans," an ANC statement reads.
Since the fall of apartheid, about 20 million hectares (50 million acres) of land have been transferred to black owners. According to Al Jazeera, that’s 10 percent of what the whites there owned in 1994. The ANC aims to raise the amount to 30 percent.
But concerns have been voiced the law still requires work, and that there’s a lack of clarity on how the measures will be implemented.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) voted against. The party sees a problem with the term ‘property’, fearing that the loose term would create loopholes allowing more than just land to be taken away – such as shares and intellectual property.
Another issue stemming from the legislative requirements is that the sums paid out for the land would not cover outstanding bank payments. According to DA MP Anchen Dreyer, “It is therefore possible that an expropriated owner could end up without a house or farm, and would still need to pay installments on an outstanding bank loan. Which bank would grant such loans?”
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) also voted against on the grounds that the bill would leave out those who were dispossessed of their land before the 1913 Land Act.
The bill is also likely to rely on more than just the market value of the property, and will also include the land’s “current use”, “history of the acquisition” and “the purpose of expropriation.”
One ray of light for the landowners is the possibility of appealing a court’s decision on the amount of rand paid out.
The expropriation bill could also hurt investment into South Africa, economists and farmers worry – an issue that’s especially salient after a recent drought so severe it led to farmland seizures across the border in Zimbabwe.
The government says it’s moving fast with the law so as to correct the mistakes of the past in a swift manner. It promised South Africa would not see the same type of seizures that took place in neighboring Zimbabwe – which was rapidly scaring off investors by forcing companies to close unless they gave up 51 percent of their shares to black Zimbabweans by April 1.
Longtime Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is known for being a scourge on white farmers, and it was reported his supporters now own 40 percent of all land expropriated from them. There is one major difference with South Africa: they weren’t being compensated.
“It is essential that all citizens know that their property rights are secure,” Dreyer says. “Moreover it is crucial for foreign investment that property rights are secure. The bill in its current form impedes on this confidence.”
Duma and the ANC are hell bent on taking the only country in Africa that had any chance and forever relegating it to third world status.
They’ve recently mandated “laws” to restrict much money from leaving the country.
And you have cornered the market in humility, as well.
This has been going on since the roll back on colonialism, decades now.
Any return of land to native governments or indigenous peoples always fails.
But the narrative is that it never fail because of the indigenous people.
Therefore, it is always drought ... Always.
Drought in Africa is the fall back position when Africans fail. It's always accompanied by requests for aid from the evil former colonialists.
This is an old trick. No one takes it seriously.
Whoever said that, obviously has NO historical knowledge of either nation.
Really...? Well hmmmmm.....
Could you have predicted Germany's, Sweden, or France's future (muslam) by looking at it's "History"..??
If history has taught us anything, it's that it doesn't come with ANY guarantees.... Especially considering the fact it's not even taught to the children anymore for fear they develop self pride and a sense of heritage.... A strong and proud people are far more difficult to rob and enslave...
You think America's future is all taken care of because of it's past..?? Think again....
MHO...
Thanks for your reasoned contributions about your country.
“They’ve recently mandated “laws” to restrict much money from leaving the country.”
Not so. Please read my post no 96.
I haven't followed this thread closely. Are you trying to claim that the situation is South Africa is, in any way, good? Something like 100,000 white farmers have been murdered.
Also regarding mangos in South Africa a quick google search it does appear that there are mango farms and a mango industry there.
I absolutely feel like what is happening in South Africa is our future if we don’t grow a set. And quick.
I read back quickly through the thread and know you know this but it is for others reading.
The mango farming in Africa, I did know about, but AFAIK, it hadn't been introduced into RSA yet. I was just quite surprised by the news.
No, no....of course the killings of thousands upon thousands of white farmers ( not to mention other whites ) is well known by me. And the news out of that nation ( except for good news about my extended family members ) has been rotten for a very long time and getting worse.
I knew absolutely nothing of South Africa until recently. Now am something of a junkie seeking out information.
Such a beautiful place. Such a waste.
There are several white South African families in our church and a guy who is from Rhodesia, and I was the only person who knew what that was when he said it.
Khoi-San, who were a more or less a nomadic people who are just about all gone now, if not completely all gone.
Until 17+ years ago, the only thing I knew about South Africa was what I had learned in school, Chruchill's writings at the time of the Boer War, and yes, movies, which don't help much with factual events; though the one about Cecil Rhodes is interesting.
The major problem for those of us living in the West, is that we either get VERY biased and incorrect news, or the books we can find here are written by Brits or other Westerners. You get a whole different picture from reading books ONLY available in RSA, which thankfully I have been given as Christmas and other kinds of presents. It also helps, quite a lot, to read their on line newspapers and to talk with people from there. :-)
It is a very beautiful and rich in many diverse things nation. But Commies ruin EVERY nation they get control over, no matter what race they are!
You've got all of that dead wrong! And if you think the quota system is bad here, and it is, you would faint if I told you what it's REALLY like in RSA !
It's also still quite a battle and filled with loads of red tape, to get money out of a bank account, once one has left, but still has money there.
Her family fled Zimbabwe/Rhodesia when she was a small girl after her father who was doing neighborhood watch patrol ended up on their front door half dead one morning (and the family's dog's head was also left impaled on the fence). He took the family and went to Namibia (I believe) . There they were held hostage in their home for three days. Again he fled and took his family to South Africa.
WELL SAID..! Thanks for that...
:)
No, I don’t believe that I ever have heard her.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.