The panel`s chairperson, Vuyokazi Mahlati, said its work was not just about Section 25 of the Constitution �` the property clause �` but it did work on proposals on when expropriation without compensation should apply.
She said the majority of the panel endorsed the view that Section 25 should be amended to allow expropriation without compensation.
`It is an inescapable fact that Section 25 is compensation-centric,` she said.
The panel found land redistribution should no longer be dependent on the willing buyer, willing seller principle.
She said expropriation is one of the levers or strategies to acquire land. The panel also suggested other strategies, like land donations.
It also recommended several circumstances when land should be expropriated without compensation.
Two members of the panel, Dan Kriek and Nic Serfontein, did not endorse the report and will provide their own report. The main reason for their opposition is expropriation without compensation. Their views are reflected in the panel`s report.
Asked if the panel has a finding on nationalisation of land, Mabasa said that to the panel`s understanding of law and the Constitution, there was no provision for the nationalisation of land.
`Nationalisation is not on the cards in the current Constitutional dispensation,` she said.
Among the panel`s other major recommendations are that there should be a focus on urban land reform and that government should develop an urban land reform policy.
It further recommends that government`s land reform policy should be consolidated and that a new white paper should be drafted.
The panel also believed that the Land Claims Court should be reformed as it did not fulfill the mandate for which it was created.
The panel stressed the importance of eradicating land corruption, and suggested the establishment of an office of a land rights protector �` an ombudsman that could refer cases to the National Prosecuting Authority.
The panel calls for an end to farm evictions.
The panel also suggests that private titles for inhabitants of communal land should be

avoided.
Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza said: `In addressing the land question, government is not only addressing the historical legacy of dispossession but at the same time recognises the multifaceted role of land in the economy of the country as well as social development. Speedy delivery of land for human settlement will not only provide our people with houses as assets but also will ensure integrated spatial planning where we can work towards de-racialising our communities.`
She said the panel was appointed in September 2018 to advise government on circumstances in which the policy on expropriation without compensation will be implemented, what procedures to follow and institutions to enforce, as well as the rights of any affected persons, including the rights to judicial review.
The report was presented to cabinet on Wednesday and each government department has been given two months to study the report and come up with a plan for implementation.
Shortly after the panel and Didiza`s media briefing, the DA released a statement rejecting the panel`s report.
`Its suggestions are high-risk, and at best promise low-reward for those in need of meaningful land reform,` DA MP and spokesperson on agriculture, land reform and rural development Thandeka Mbabama said.
`The majority endorsement of land expropriation without compensation will further batter our ailing economy, and the suggestion to move land reform to the Presidency will undermine the entire department and the minister, and would move this crucial function to an office without the specialisations necessary to execute.`
Last year, the National Assembly adopted a motion to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow expropriation without compensation, despite the objections of opposition parties like the DA, FF Plus, IFP and ACDP.
This past week the National Assembly adopted a motion to appoint an ad hoc committee to draft this amendment.
www.sami.co.za V.2918

The Home Affairs official was accused of selling passports at R3,000 to foreigners A 34-year-old former Department of Home Affairs employee will spend the weekend behind bars after being arrested on fraud and corruption charges. Malusi Mlondo appeared briefly in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody. V.5329
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Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the arrest demonstrated the department`s zero-tolerance against corruption. • A Department of Home Affairs employee in Limpopo was sentenced to an effective eight years in jail for fraud and corruption. • NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malaba-Dzhangi said Amos Ngwenyama accepted R1 000 to fraudulently issue a birth certificate. • Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the sentencing demonstrated the department`s commitment to tackling corruption. V.5330
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A United Kingdom (UK) citizen - who laid a criminal charge of corruption against a Home Affairs official who wanted R60 000 to renew the retirement visas of him and his wife - is still waiting for the police probe to show results. He is also still waiting for the visas he applied for in 2022. A United Kingdom (UK) citizen - who laid a criminal charge of corruption against a Home Affairs official who wanted R60 000 to renew the retirement visas of him and his wife - is still waiting for the police probe to show results. He is also still waiting for the visas he applied for in 2022. V.5331
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With just a few weeks to go until the 2024 elections, the Department of Home Affairs has publicized the nation`s identification document (ID) process. The department acknowledges the critical role of voter identification in facilitating participation and ensuring electoral fairness. Delays and inefficiencies at Home Affairs have historically impeded the democratic right to vote, particularly affecting those in rural areas. V.5332
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SAUDI VISA FOR AFRICAN CITIZENS South Africa is not among the countries exempt from Saudi Arabia visa requirements, therefore a Saudi Arabia visa is required. South Africans need a current visa to travel to Saudi Arabia lawfully. South African citizens can obtain a Saudi electronic visa. Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East. The eVisa is an electronic visa that permits citizens from approximately 50 countries to travel to Saudi Arabia for tourism. V.5333
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I recently renewed my passport at Home Affairs in a bank branch and was very impressed with the service and quick turnaround time. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and major banks first launched the option to do Smart ID card and passport applications via select bank branches in 2016. It has slowly grown to around 30 locations, including branches from Absa, Discovery Bank, FNB, Investec, Nedbank, and Standard Bank. V.5334
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The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has spent over R412.95 million in legal fees since the start of the 2018/19 financial year - with over R117.69 million of this spent between 1 April 2023 and 29 February 2024. This was revealed by the Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, in a recent written response in parliament. DHA has seen an exponential increase in the amount that it spends on litigation, with the current amount for 2023/24 (note these figures are until the end of February, several months short of the full financial year) nearly 16 times that of the amount spent in 2018/19. V.5335
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Short on time? Here are the highlights: • Following recent announcements from British Columbia and Ontario, Nova Scotia becomes the latest Canadian province to declare how its quota of study permit applications for 2024 will be distributed across sectors and institutions • As in Ontario, private institutions and language schools stand to be the most negatively affected by the distribution arrangement, but some public universities will also see significant reductions in study permit applications • All Canadian provinces have now distributed their allocation of study permit applications for 2024, and all are now also issuing provincial attestation letters (PALs) V.5336
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We asked the major contestants of the 29 May elections about immigration. Illustration: Lisa Nelson Today’s questions and answers to the major political parties deal with immigration. We emailed our questions to the ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, FF Plus, ActionSA, PA, MK Party, and RISE Mzansi on 13 March and sent follow-up queries to those who did not respond. Some have still not responded. Answers are very lightly edited for grammar and typos. Does your party support continued extensions of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP)? V.5337
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Key Takeaways • Ireland will be discussing the ending of the visa-free travel scheme with South Africa. • The move comes in an attempt to reduce the number of international protection applicants. • Ireland is currently facing problems with asylum and international protection applicants’ accommodation. Ireland is planning to end visa-free travel from South Africa in an attempt to reduce the number of people applying for international protection and asylum. V.5323
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