South African Parliament Passes Amendment To Seize White-Owned Land Without Compensation

Earlier this week, South Africa passed an amendment to its constitution that will now permit the government to seize and redistribute land from white to black owners without compensation, Reuters has reported.

A 2017 government audit estimated white people owned 72 per cent of farmland.

According to Reuters, the motion was initiated by Julius Malema, the radical Marxist opposition leader from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party and received widespread support from the ruling African National Congress, which controls almost two-thirds of the parliament. The measure was easily passed by a vote of 241 to 83. The policy was a key factor in new president Cyril Ramaphosa's platform after he ousted Jacob Zuma in February.

Mr Malema said the time for 'reconciliation is over'. 'Now is time for justice.’

'We must ensure that we restore the dignity of our people without compensating the criminals who stole our land.'

Mr Malema has a long-standing commitment to land confiscation without compensation. In 2016 he told his supporters he was 'not calling for the slaughter of white people - at least for now'.

Supporting the move, Rural affairs minister for the ruling African National Congress party said 'The ANC unequivocally supports the principle of land expropriation without compensation'.

Neighbouring Zimbabwe under its despotic leader Robert Mugabe attempted large scale redistribution of land but the move proved catastrophic leaving many farms in ruins, and triggered an cataclysmic economic crisis that still haunts the country.