Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) leader Mzwanele Nyhontso. Picture: file picture.
Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) leader Mzwanele Nyhontso said his job as Minister of Land Reform and Rural DEvelopment to redistribute land to the people will start as soon as tomorrow after President Cyril Ramaphosa said land transfer will be prioritised.
"We are going to start our work tomorrow to ensure that land is redistributed and make sure that rural areas are developed.
"Our people must use the land where they stay, we must support them and make sure that they plough the land, that they get fresh produce from where they stay. This includes employment as well."
This was a reactionary statement by Nyhontso to President Cyril Ramaphosa's Opening of Parliament Speech, at the commencement of the 7th administration.
Ramaphosa delivered his opening of Parliament speech on Thursday night in Cape Town.
During his speech, he said the Government of National Unity (GNU) would ensure land was transferred to the people as well as funding pumped into land reform.
"We will increase funding to land reform, prioritise the transfer of state land and improve post-settlement support by strengthening the institutional capacity of responsible structures," Ramaphosa said.
Nyhontso welcomed the news and said his department would hit the ground running. He said he will push for amendments to the Constitution to address land dispossession.
But the Democratic Alliance (DA) made it clear that Nyhontso’s attempts to amend the Constitution to allow expropriation without compensation.
The DA said this will defeat the goal of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
“These comments are counter-productive and contrary to the spirit of the Statement of Intent that underpins the GNU,” it said.
According to the DA, any attempt to re-open the land matter would create economic instability, adding that they would “strongly” oppose it.
“The DA is committed to defending the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights in its entirety. Parliament has already rejected proposals to amend Section 25 of the Constitution,” the DA said.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics