Latest news with #ExpropriationAct
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
SA Human Rights Commission urges clarity on land expropriation policy
Deputy President Paul Mashatile's recent promise to return the land to the people and take it from the banks has resulted in the SA Human Rights Commission raising concerns over lack of legal and legislative frameworks to ensure equitable redistribution of land. Image: Bongiwe Mchunu / Independent Newspapers The SA Human Rights Commission has called on government to distinguish between acceptable legal instruments that enable administrative procedures and those that substantively achieve constitutional obligation following the recent enactment of the country's Land Expropriation policy. The Commission has accused government of pushing a concerning public discourse both nationally and globally over this policy with no clear legislative framework to achieve equitable land redistribution. "The South African Human Rights Commission (Commission/SAHRC) has observed, with concern, public discourse at national and global platforms, whereby, the Expropriation Act is portrayed as a key component of South Africa's land reform agenda. The position of the SAHRC is that the Expropriation Act does not clarify the conditions for equitable redistribution of land. Neither does it represent a compensation framework that is historically sensitive. It merely delineates the procedures and conditions under which the State may acquire privately owned land. The Commission emphasises the importance of distinguishing between legal instruments that enable administrative procedures and those that substantively achieve constitutional obligation," the Commission said on Tuesday. The Commission's statement of concern comes just a week after deputy president Paul Mashatile promised the return of land to black people saying this will be done without the interference of banking institutions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading IOL reports that Mashatile made this commitment during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly on Thursday with Mashatile saying the government was determined to protect land reform beneficiaries from being trapped by commercial debt. 'Our role as a new government is to return the land to the people and do it in such a way that we protect them from the commercial don't want a situation where they lose land again because of loans," he said. Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill allowing land seizures by the state without compensation - a move that put him at odds with some members of his government within the GNU. While speaking during a recent National Assembly debate, DA MP, Willie Aucamp indicated that the DA will continue to oppose 'Expropriation Without Compensation" as it "threatens investor confidence, destabilises the agricultural sector, and ultimately jeopardises jobs and food security." It is these sentiments that the SAHRC said it is concerned about with the Commission having called on the government to take the necessary steps in ensuring reasonable legislative steps to safeguard the rights of landowners. "Section 25 of the Constitution mandates the State to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its reasonable resources, to foster conditions that enable citizens to gain access to land on an equitable basis. Since the enactment, of the Constitution, no legislative measures have been taken by the State to give effect to Section 25 (5) of the Constitution. The State's continued failure to enact specific legislation to give effect to Section 25 (5) of the Constitution enables prevailing context of policy incoherence regarding land rights," the Commission stated. The National Department of Agriculture and Land Reform referred the matter to Department of Public Works who are the custodians for the Expropriation Act. "The Expropriation Act is the law that is administered by the Department of Public Works. Your questions should be directed there, as indicated the Expropriation Act is currently legislation/law in the country. It should also be indicated that South Africa has had an Expropriation Act which was enacted in 1975," the department said.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
'No-one wants to kill white people': Malema demands land return
Malema also defended the controversial struggle song 'Kill the Boer', referring to its historical significance. 'The song 'Kill the Boer' is not created by Julius Malema. That is a song of the struggle, a song that was sung by our fathers and mothers during difficult days of apartheid and no-one will stop us from singing that song. It is our heritage and we will defend it with everything we have,' he told supporters during a Youth Day address in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday. The EFF leader's remarks come amid debates about land reform and the Expropriation Act, which allows expropriation without compensation in specific cases to address historical injustices. The act, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in January, triggered much debate. Malema also criticised Ramaphosa's diplomacy, referencing a meeting with US President Donald Trump where land reform and white genocide claims were discussed. 'Ramaphosa said he will never be bullied by Trump, but when he arrived at the Oval Office he was shaking like a small boy. Ramaphosa has destroyed the dignity of this country internationally and we must restore the dignity of this country,' Malema said.
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
EFF says 'there's nothing that has improved' under GNU, which is a govt of convenience
Babalo Ndenze 15 June 2025 | 9:14 Government of national unity (GNU) Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) FILE: Newly sworn-in Cabinet ministers pose for a photo with Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and President Cyril Ramaphosa on 3 July 2024. Picture: GCIS CAPE TOWN - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) say the Government of National Unity (GNU) has been a partnership of convenience and has failed, as the multi-party coalition enters a year since its establishment. This weekend marks a year since the GNU's statement of intent was signed by 10 parties to form the new government arrangement. While some consider the last 12 months year as being relatively stable, parties like the EFF are not happy with its performance, citing poor economic growth, growing unemployment and the delays in passing the recent budget. ALSO READ: • DA's Steenhuisen admits being in govt harder in reality than it appears from opposition benches • Steenhuisen says biggest surprise of past year is how well GNU partners stuck together • GNU at 1: Analysts believe not enough has been done to transcend party lines The GNU was formed in June last year after the May general election could not find a clear majority winner. The GNU, while still intact, has seen clashes over government policies like BBBEE and the Expropriation Act and the parties have still found no consensus with legal challenges before the courts. The EFF, which is not part of the GNU, said that the coalition of unlikely partners had been nothing but a series of failures. Spokesperson Sinawo Thambo: "Unemployment has increased, economic growth has stagnated - just now in the first quarter of 2025, the economy grew by 0.1% - there was a loss of 291,000 jobs and crimes statistics are continuously going up. So, there's nothing that has improved under the GNU government." He said that the recently passed budget, which was delayed by months due to disagreements over a value-added tax (VAT) and fuel levy increase, illustrated that it was nothing but a "government of convenience". "And the EFF is vindicated for that, and hopefully the people of South Africa will remember."
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
DA is pragmatic on matters of style, principled on matters of substance
CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) may have navigated recent court battles against government and still managed to stave off being thrown out of the coalition but party leader John Steenhuisen said that his party doesn't plan to become a pushover on matters of principle for the party. This includes the Expropriation Act and the National Health Insurance (NHI), which were signed into law during the previous administration. Saturday marked one year since the statement of intent was signed, which governs the coalition. ALSO READ: • EFF says 'there's nothing that has improved' under GNU, which is a govt of convenience • DA's Steenhuisen admits being in govt harder in reality than it appears from opposition benches • Steenhuisen says biggest surprise of past year is how well GNU partners stuck together • GNU at 1: Analysts believe not enough has been done to transcend party lines However, in the absence of terms of reference for the Government of National Unity (GNU)'s dispute mechanism, exactly how does the party plan to negotiate the challenges that lie ahead? Steenhuisen said that his party would prefer to iron out matters of contention within the GNU and not by heading to the courts. But he said that the statement of intent recognised parties' rights to approach the judiciary on matters of dispute. Steenhuisen said that while the party had made several compromises on new legislation, including on the minimum wage, it was unapologetic for going up against the finance minister over a proposal to increase the value-added tax (VAT) rate. "I think we've demonstrated that we are pragmatic on matters of style, but we are principled on matters of substance, and I think that's very important, particularly in the VAT fight, and it showed as well that we can prevail." Steenhuisen said that the party's commitment to the GNU can't be second-guessed and it was unfair to say the party still behaved like an opposition party when it disagreed with the African National Congress (ANC). "The last year has been tough because all of us have had to unlearn muscle memory of the previous 30 years. The ANC muscle memory is that they are the majority party and they can do what they like. The DA's muscle memory was opposition, and so all of us have had to relearn new muscle memory to navigate the new environment that the voters have thrust upon us." Steenhuisen said the party still wanted the Expropriation Act to be returned to Parliament for refinement.
IOL News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
A Year of Unity or unfulfilled promises? Mashatile hails GNU's progress despite internal issues
Deputy Paul Mashatile has hailed the GNU's progress despite internal issues. Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers Deputy President Paul Mashatile has given the Government of National Unity (GNU) a strong performance rating and praised its progress despite internal challenges. Mashatile was addressing the media on the sidelines of the Harambee Youth Engagement event in Johannesburg on Friday. He admitted that there were challenges in the GNU but expressed confidence that they would continue working for the people. 'We are working very well. One year in office, we have had some challenges, but we are confident that we will proceed properly going forward,' he said. Mashatile suggested a rating of '8/10' for the GNU's performance, indicating a positive view of their progress. His remarks come as South Africa marks the first anniversary of the GNU's formation. The GNU was formed in June 2024 following the May 2024 national and provincial elections. This resulted in a hung parliament. On June 14, 2024, the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) signed a Statement of Intent, marking the formal establishment of the GNU and the appointment of the new cabinet. According to the first deputy secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane, in the past year, the DA has been behaving like a crybaby in the GNU, as the party expressed dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the GNU. The DA has taken the ANC to court several times over the past year in a bid to stop it from implementing the laws that would allow transformation in the country. Among others, were the signing of the Expropriation Act, the BELA Act and the National Health Insurance (NHI). The recent incident involved the DA's legal action against ANC MP and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana regarding the 2025 national budget. Following this, ANC members urged Ramaphosa to respond to the DA's failure to support the passage of the 2025 national budget. Apart from demanding top positions, the DA also wanted its voice heard in the GNU, which led to the ANC considering taking action against the DA's behaviour in government. However, the ANC announced a plan to reassess the GNU's structure and open talks to other parties to join. To review the GNU performance, ActionSA has launched a series of engagements to mark this milestone by listening to the lived experiences of South Africans from all walks of life. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading This week, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba met with small business owners in Dobsonville, Soweto, to hear first-hand accounts of their realities under the GNU. These entrepreneurs were promised a government focused on economic growth and support for small enterprises. 'Yet, a year later, their testimonies paint a different picture. Instead of progress, many describe continued stagnation, a harsh operating environment, and the absence of tangible support from the government,' the party said in a statement. IOL Politics
