WATCH | Diverse views on land during hearings in East London
The public hearings on land expropriation without compensation are under way at the Orient Theatre in East London on Thursday.
Farmers, community members and politicians have attended the 24th meeting about the possible amendment of section 25 of expropriation of land without compensation.
A total of 30 people are given three minutes each to air their views on the land debate that has gripped South Africa.
Sipho Ncamashe of the Rharhabe Kingdom said the expropriation of land without compensation will restore human dignity and healing the colonial past as the issue cuts across all nations of the indigenous people.
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While Raleni Potelwa said government must be custodian of land. "If land is given to the government then there will be progress in SA."
Thobile Hlengwa said young people were deprived of growth without land.
"We support this agreement, the status quo in our country is not sustainable, we cannot run away from the fact that land is tied to the economy. We cannot open a spaza, shop or have manufacturers if we do not own land."
He said the economy is still controlled by the minority of white male.
"If we are given land, the government won't have the burden of building RDP houses because people will own houses in their own land. Blacks are squashed like sardines in skwatta camps, I'm a working class citizen yet I cannot get a bond, we are squashed living in our mothers’ backyards while we want to grow and have our own houses."
The DA s Terri Stander said the land should be given to the people.
"Apartheid was evil, and dispossessed the majority of people in our country from their land and I admit I am a beneficiary of white privilege in the apartheid but if we are to achieve equality, and unity, we have to have justice through land ownership and land reforms is one of those ways that we can create equality and unity. "