Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa in a televised address on Tuesday night said the African National Congress, which he leads, had resolved to change the Constitution to make clear the conditions under which land in the country can be expropriated without compensation.
Speaking after a two-day meeting of the ANC national executive committee, Ramaphosa said ongoing public hearings by a joint constitutional review committee of Parliament had made it clear that South Africans want the Constitution to be more "explicit" about the expropriation of land by the State in the public interest without compensation.
"The ANC lekgotla reaffirmed its position that a comprehensive land reform programme, then enables equitable access to land will unlock economic growth by bringing more land in South Africa to full use and enable the productive participation of million more South Africans in the economy," he said.
"Accordingly, the ANC will, through the parliamentary process, finalise proposed amendments to the Constitution that outlines more clearly the conditions under which expropriation of land without compensation can be effected."
MPs have been crisscrossing the country holding public hearings into possibly amending section 25 of the Constitution, also known as the property clause.