Dear President Ramaphosa,

We, the undersigned 22 think tanks and advocacy organisations from around the world, representing hundreds of millions of people want to stand firmly against the South African government’s proposed policy of “expropriation without compensation”. A policy that violates the sanctity of private property rights and therefore the basic human rights of the South African people. South Africa has an internationally acclaimed Constitution premised on freedom, human dignity, and equality. Its Bill of Rights has never been altered and the evidence shows that there is no reason to do so now.

Amending South Africa’s Constitution is unnecessary and would be dangerous. Unnecessary because there already exists ample room for the South African government to engage in substantive and empowering land reform to undo the historical injustices committed by the Apartheid regime; and dangerous because it undermines the very institution the Amendment Bill ostensibly seeks to expand – ownership. Section 1(a) of the Constitution commits South Africa to “advancing human rights and freedoms”, but the policy of expropriation without compensation undermines those very objectives

Therefore, the undersigned members of the Property Rights Alliance call on policymakers in South Africa to protect and promote the sanctity of private property rights and strongly condemn the South African government’s intention to enact a policy that will expropriate private property without compensation. The Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill must be abandoned immediately.

Yours sincerely,

The undersigned members of the Property Rights Alliance

READ THE FULL COALITION LETTER HERE

*in partnership with
Property Rights Alliance and Free Market Foundation