Parliament's Joint Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) on Thursday requested a postponement to submit a report on whether the Constitution should be amended to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.

Due to the volume of public inputs received on this matter, the committee realized that it will not be able to meet this deadline for the report, as set by Parliament, Committee Co-Chairperson Lewis Nzimande said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.

"We have therefore already made a request to the presiding officers for an extension of the deadline, stating our reasons. We expect the request to be successful," he said.

The committee had been instructed by the National Assembly (Lower House) and the National Council of Provinces (Upper House) to submit the report by September 28 to ascertain whether a review of section 25 of the Constitution and other clauses is necessary, to make it possible for the state to expropriate land without compensation, and also to propose constitutional amendments where necessary.

The committee has already held public hearings in all provinces and held oral submissions in Parliament.

In the report, the committee is expected to highlight the divergent views raised by the public in favor or against the amendment of the Constitution.

As the government led by the African National Congress (ANC) is accelerating land expropriation without compensation, opposition to this process is also mounting. Opponents argue that the government's move will drive away white farmers, kill jobs and threaten food security, just like what has happened in neighboring Zimbabwe where farming land seized by blacks has turned useless.

The government has repeatedly assured that the land reform will be implemented in a way that increases agricultural production, improves food security, and ensures that the land is returned to those from whom it was taken under colonialism and apartheid.