S Africa’s ANC agrees to push constitutional change on land

Bloomberg

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress agreed to seek a change in the constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation, provided it doesn’t affect the economy and food production.
The party agreed to the proposal in a debate that “nearly collapsed” its five yearly conference, Enoch Godongwana, the head of the ANC’s economic transformation committee, told reporters in Johannesburg. Delegates didn’t agree on a deadline for the change and the policy must not affect other sectors of the economy, he said. “There should be no
illegal occupation of land,” God-ongwana said. “That is part of the resolution we have taken.”
South Africa ruling party has sought to accelerate redistributing land to the country’s black majority from the more affluent white minority but is deeply divided on how to achieve that, with President Jacob Zuma seeking radical policies as his term as national leader comes to an end. Cyril Ramaphosa beat Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Zuma’s preferred candidate and ex-wife, to become ANC president this week.
The rand reversed gains of as much as 1.1 percent against the dollar and was 0.3 percent weaker at 12.7435 by 10:15 p.m. in Johannesburg. Two-thirds of lawmakers need to approve a change in the constitution.