Parliament’s constitutional review committee will seek an extension to a September 28 deadline to present its findings on possible constitutional amendments to ease expropriation of land without compensation, boosting the odds that the legislature won’t decide the matter before the 2019 election. The committee needs more time to consider public submissions on a possible policy shift and will discuss a new deadline for submitting its report to the National Assembly, committee co-chairman Lewis Nzimande said on Thursday. The ANC decided in December that constitutional amendments are necessary to address racially skewed land ownership patterns dating back to colonial and apartheid rule, and asked the committee to investigate how the law could be changed. The potential erosion of property rights and fears of a Zimbabwe-style land grab have added to negative sentiment towards emerging markets and compounded a rand sell-off. The committee received 449,522 valid written submissions and 65%...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.