LETTER: Land and property confusion, season 2
The debate is dangerous and detrimental to the SA economy
Terence Corrigan suggests the arguments being raised and debated between the ANC and the EFF on the amendment of the “expropriation without compensation” clause of the constitution, as referred to in section 25(2), are generally incorrectly and misleadingly interpreted as restricted to land-reform measures (“Expropriation not limited to land (https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/letters/2021-06-01-letter-expropriation-not-limited-to-land/)”, June 1). How right he is. And how dangerous this misunderstanding is.
At the time when the provisions of the constitution were being negotiated attention was drawn to the fact that the word “property”, as referred to in section 25 in the Bill of Rights was, if given its normal dictionary meaning, capable of wide interpretation. Greater specificity was called for, but these calls were either ignored or refused. I remember pointing out the dangers of this broad definition, and its ramifications, in a letter to the editor at the time (“L...
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