President Cyril Ramaphosa made it abundantly clear on 9 March 2023, that the proposed Expropriation Bill is crucial to satisfy the masses’ “hunger for land”.
In response to a parliamentary question by the FF Plus about the constitutionality thereof, the President said that it is needed to address “historic inequalities”.
This Bill, which makes provision for “nil” compensation for property, is nothing other than expropriation without compensation and will have an immeasurably detrimental impact on the country.
Despite the President’s assurances that the country’s legal system offers protection against injustices, no investor will trust the ANC with this.
No-one’s property will be safe once the Bill is signed.
President Ramaphosa said that the Bill must first go through all the parliamentary processes before he is able to determine whether it is constitutional or not, and whether or not he needs to refer it to the Constitutional Court.
Anyone who does not agree with his decision is welcome to approach the court, including the Constitutional Court.
The FF Plus strongly condemns the Expropriation Bill and will oppose it by any means possible. It will be an extremely dangerous weapon in the hands of the ANC.
The Bill’s clauses were adopted in September last year with an ANC majority in the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure.
In 2021, the ruling party failed to obtain the two-thirds majority in the National Assembly (NA) that it needed to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to make expropriation without compensation possible.
Thus, the Expropriation Bill is simply another avenue that the ANC is exploring in its pursuit of making expropriation without compensation possible.
The FF Plus has already made it clear that it will oppose these amendments and the party is even willing to approach the Constitutional Court in a bid to stop the Bill.
Expropriation without compensation is unconstitutional, and must not be allowed in South Africa.
Land ownership and the protection of that right is one of the pillars of a democracy, particularly a constitutional democracy.
This Bill demonstrates how little the President and the ANC value the Constitution and democracy.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Dr Pieter Groenewald on FF Plus
