PORT ELIZABETH - Farmers union, TLU SA, on Thursday said it was launching its #SOS-CAMPAIGN that would seek support from foreign countries to put pressure on the incoming government on the question of land without expropriation.
"In the run-up to the national elections, the ruling ANC once again made many promises regarding land expropriation to win votes. Supporters of these efforts to change the constitution in order to apply expropriation without compensation are now waiting impatiently to see how government will process this exercise," the organisation said in a statement.
TLU SA warned of the devastating effects any threat to private property would have on the economy, adding that, along with "leading economists" its greatest concern was the prosperity of the country.
“With this campaign we will send a distress signal to foreign countries, asking them to take a stand and warn the South African government to not proceed with this short-sighted plan,” TLU SA president Louis Meintjies said.
“We’ve been warning against land expropriation since its inception. Our suggestions regarding this – which would be to the benefit of all parties – are however simply seen as right and therefore wiped from the table, without properly looking into it.”
“Private property rights – be it land, shares or even cash – are the most important principles of a country’s economic growth,” Meintjies said.
“It is the state’s obligation to protect its residents and their property. When private property rights are undermined by the state itself, government fails in their duty, to the detriment of the country’s economy.”
TLU SA said that the campaign could send "a distress signal directly to the leaders, ambassadors and influential role players of the top 15 countries".