Legal Storm Brews as Ramaphosa Signs Expropriation Bill into Law

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the controversial Expropriation Bill into law, which will allow state organs to expropriate land in the public interest with strict guidelines for fair compensation. The Bill repeals the apartheid-era Expropriation Act of 1975.

Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that the Bill, which had undergone a five-year process of public consultation and parliamentary deliberation, aligns legislation on expropriation with the Constitution. He said that the bill outlines how expropriation can be done and on what basis. This law will assist all organs of state - local, provincial and national authorities - to expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons.

Several political parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA), have threatened to sue the government over the Land Expropriation Act. The DA has expressed significant concerns regarding specific provisions in the legislation. ActionSA is weighing legal action, describing the Act as yet another example of the ANC's relentless push for destructive policies. However, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has welcomed the new Act, hailing it as a historic victory for the working class, the dispossessed, and the downtrodden.