MK Party, EFF, DA Reject the Signing of the Expropriation Bill Into Law
- Political parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters, the Democratic Alliance and the MK Party, opposed the signing of the Expropriation Bill into law
- President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Bill, which gives the state power to expropriate land for public interest subject to fair compensation
- The Democratic Alliance said it would challenge the law in court, and the EFF and the MK Party rejected it outright in its current form
Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliament and Parliamentary committees, politician-related news and elections at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG — The Democratic Alliance (DA), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the MK Party vehemently opposed the signing of the Expropriation Bill into law. The DA promised to take the law to court.
Political parties oppose the expropriation bill
The Democratic Alliance has serious reservations about certain aspects of the Bill and its processes. The party announced that it is discussing formulating a case with its legal team. The MK Party, in a statement, said that the Bill is a continuation of injustice and a betrayal of South Africans' struggles for actual land restitution. It called on progressive forces to reject the law.
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The EFF called it a legislative cop-out by the African Nstionsl CongressCongress. In a statement, the party reiterated that it opposed the Bill in Parliament. It said it provided no radical departure from the past and merely aligns the country's expropriation laws with the 1996 constitution.
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About the Bill
During a Q&A in Parliament in 2023, Ramaphosa said the government will only use the Expropriation Bill for public purposes. The Bill was passed after a five-year consultative process where the DA and EFF voted against it. Expropriation will only occur if the state fails to reach an agreement with the property owner after making a reasonable offer.
South Africans weigh in
Netizens commenting on @EFFSouthAfrica's tweet shared their views.
Sbongiseni Mfeka said:
"We must stop being misled by politicians, especially the EFF and the ANC. Expropriation of land without compensation will not solve the land issue."
Tee said:
"I do not see him touching the land that Europeans looted! We are getting tired of this government."
Black Conscious said:
"The ANC is a compromised and wounded animal. It's limping, and they will make more mistakes going forward."
Gobetse said:
"I am not an EFF voter and will never vote for them, but I agree with them on this one."
Sajen Kokobela said:
"The only statement that matters on this issue."
DA supports the BELA Act
In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Democratic Alliance supported the Bela Act, which was signed into law. The party said the Bill will benefit the Government of National Unity.
The party said it trusts that the Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, also a DA member, will implement the law successfully. DA supporters were disappointed in the party's about-turn from opposing the BELA Act to supporting it.
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Source: Briefly News
