Threats of conflicts in S. Africa's land expropriation hearings [The Morning Call]

The final public hearing on land expropriation- a plan by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to endorse constitutional changes to allow the state to seize land without compensation took place during the weekend. Now, that final hearing became disorderly and in Cape Town the discourse took a turn for the worse with threats of war being expressed at the hearing.

In fact, last week wednesday, white farmers had criticised it, warning the move would be “catastrophic”. But to bring you the context of the discourse here, more than twenty years after the end of dark days of apartheid, whites still own most of South Africa’s land.

Last week Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the decision by the ANC’s top decision-making organ to go on with plans to amend the constitution in order to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.

Some investors though have said Mr. Ramaphosa’s speech was aimed at winning political points ahead of an election scheduled for mid-2019.