Opposition parties have vowed to take legal action against President Cyril Ramaphosa after he signed into law the Expropriation Bill yesterday. These parties include the Democratic Alliance (DA), ActionSA and lobby group AfriForum, among others.

THE EXPROPRIATION BILL

Yesterday, the presidency announced in a statement that Ramaphosa had signed into law the Expropriation Bill, which they explain repeals the pre-democratic Expropriation Act of 1975 and sets out how organs of State may expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons. Ramaphosa spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the bill, which has undergone a five-year process of public consultation and parliamentary deliberation, aligns legislation on expropriation with the Constitution. "Section 25 of the Constitution recognises expropriation as an essential mechanism for the state to acquire someone’s property for a public purpose or in the public interest, subject to just and equitable compensation being paid. Up to now, expropriation of property has been governed in terms of the Expropriation Act of 1975, which predates the expropriation mechanism provided for in section 25(2) of the Constitution," Magwenya explained. He added that local, provincial and national authorities will use this legislation to expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons that seek, among others, to promote inclusivity and access to natural resources.

A THREAT

Afriforum spokesperson, Ernst van Zyl, said the signing of the bill into law poses an undeniable threat to the right to private property in the country. Van Zyl said AfriForum will do everything in its power to protect citizens against expropriation without compensation. "“AfriForum vows to launch substantial legal action to protect property launch in an event they are targeted by the government for expropriation without compensation," Van Zyl said, adding that the organisation seem to be the last real lines of defence left. "The promulgation of the BELA Act and now the signing of the Expropriation Bill indicates that the ANC is effectively trying to use the Government of National Unity to co-opt the former opposition parties to help the ANC carry out every one of its destructive policies," said van Zyl.

THREATENING THE FUTURE OF SA

ActionSA Parliamentary chief whip, Lerato Ngobeni, said they are considering legal action in response to Ramaphosa’s signing of the bill. Ngobeni said the bill is a threat to South Africa and an agenda to push ANC policies. The landmark legislation was signed to address longstanding issues of land inequality and provide a framework for the expropriation of land without compensation. "ActionSA believes that land reform is crucial for addressing historical injustices and must be expedited responsibly to safeguard property rights and maintain investor confidence. Consequently, we oppose any constitutional amendments permitting expropriation without compensation and uphold the protection of private property rights as a fundamental economic tenet," she said. The DA said they have serious reservations about the procedure as well as important substantive aspects of the bill. "We are in discussions with our legal team to formulate our case," the party said in a statement.