There is a video clip on @afriforum's Facebook of my speech at the public hearing on expropriation without compensation yesterday. I'll add the link below. The audio is poor, due to the echo in the chamber (pun intended). So for those asking, here is a thread of what I said... 
My name is Ernst Roets. I am from AfriForum. I was sent here by Jan van Riebeeck to explain to you why we are opposing expropriation without compensation.
Mr. Chairperson, we do know, and the panel sitting there also knows that land reform is a political ploy.
Mr. Chairperson, we do know, and the panel sitting there also knows that land reform is a political ploy.
We do know that virtually every opinion survey that has been done about this topic has found that the majority of people in South Africa do not support this.
We do know that during the previous process where there were public inputs, hundreds of thousands of people’s submissions were thrown out. We do know that the majority of people who file land claims file their claims for urban land, not for rural land...
and we do know more than 90% of people who file land claims say that they do not actually want the land, but that they actually want money.
So why is this such a big deal then? It is a big deal because government is failing, and everyone can see that government is failing.
So why is this such a big deal then? It is a big deal because government is failing, and everyone can see that government is failing.
Now government needs to do something to withdraw the attention from government’s own failures by creating this massive spectacle regarding expropriation without compensation, at the expense of the ruling party and other parties who support this’s own voters.
Mr. Chairperson, there is no political party in this country that is as efficient and as well-organised as the Economic Freedom Fighters. We can applaud them for their efforts in organising themselves to be here today. It is a party with only 10% support – it is a small party...
...but it is dictating the agenda and the ruling party is falling in line with the demands of the Economic Freedom Fighters – an inspiration to all of us, even though we disagree with their policies.
There is just one problem. We see the Economic Freedom Fighters and the ANC fighting capitalism, fighting property rights and so forth. There is just one big problem that some of you who are here today have: You love the fruits of capitalism too much!
If you really enjoy the fruits of capitalism then you must be careful to chop down the tree, because if you chop down the tree, you can eat the fruits, but you have to eat it very quickly before it becomes stale. And then there will be no fruit left.
There is a saying that there is one major difference between a capitalist and a communist: A communist is someone who reads Karl Marx, but a capitalist is someone who understands Karl Marx.
That is why we know that expropriation without compensation will be disastrous for the economy. We believe you know this as well. We believe that there are many people here who read Karl Marx and understand Karl Marx, who know that this would be bad...
...but who still push this idea because they believe that it is in their political interest to do so.
Mr. Chairperson, we are not here to convince you on what should be done, or whether the Constitution should be changed, because we know that you have already decided.
Mr. Chairperson, we are not here to convince you on what should be done, or whether the Constitution should be changed, because we know that you have already decided.
So, we are not here to argue with you, but only to tell you that we will see you in court.
Thank you.
Thank you.
