Expropriation Act Is Motivated By Freedom Charter
Unisa Political Science academic Dr Thabisi Hoeane (The Mercury, March 25) insists that the Expropriation Act is being misinterpreted because it is not about land restitution. Yet in his final paragraph, he contradicts himself.
Given the ANC’s adherence to the Marxist Freedom Charter’s declaration that the land belongs to the people who “have the right to occupy land wherever they choose,” Dr Hoeane should have no illusions that the purpose of the Expropriation Act is to fulfil the holy writ of the Charter.
If that is not the case, then why are the provisions of Section 25 of the Constitution suddenly no longer adequate?
Running out of options to hang onto power and with the totalitarian MK Party threatening its diminishing power base, Ramphosa’s ANC needs populist appeal to sustain itself politically. Beating the drum of land disparities enables the ANC to outflank the MKP threat.
One should not be naïve about the Machiavellian nature of the phrase “public interest” in motivating the Act and the claim that the process would be subject to legal procedure. Public interest can be contrived by rent-a-crowd antics. Legal costs are prohibitively expensive and would oblige most property owners to forego that route.
The fact that 90% of land claims thus far concluded have resulted in the disadvantaged accepting a financial settlement rather than the actual land in question, should indicate that as an issue land is exploited for political purposes.
By noting in his final paragraph that “the real victims of land disparities—the black majority—continue to be victimised,” Dr Hoeane regrettably echoes the propaganda of the Left and thereby contradicts his attempt to deny the ideological purpose of the Expropriation Act.
