MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Expropriation Act – Calls on MPs to Exercise Section 80 Option

Expropriation Act – Calls on MPs to Exercise Section 80 Option

Daniela Ellerbeck assesses the Expropriation Bill that President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law recently.

The post EXPROPRIATION ACT NOW LAW – THE FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION CALLS ON MPS TO EXERCISE SECTION 80 OPTION appeared first on FW de Klerk Foundation.

Issued by Daniela Ellerbeck on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation:

On 23 January 2025 President Cyril Ramaphosa assented to the Expropriation Bill. Now known as the Expropriation Act, 2020, this law allows the State to expropriate land for “nil compensation”.

“South Africa faces serious risks if the Expropriation Act, 2020 does not protect property rights, but rather limits and undermines them,” says Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation. “Who is going to invest on land where the ownership is not secured? Banks and food security are directly affected as South Africa’s homeowners owe banks approximately R4 trillion and South Africa’s farmers produce food on the back of debt,” explains van der Rheede 

The Act is legally unsound according to Daniela Ellerbeck, an attorney and the Foundation’s Constitutional Rights Programme Manager, “Section 25 of the Constitution explicitly states that such expropriation is subject to just and equitable compensation being paid by the state to the person whose property is being expropriated,” says Ellerbeck. “The Constitution is the supreme law in South Africa, which means that any law that contradicts the Constitution is null and void. Given that the attempt to change the Constitution to allow for nil compensation was rejected by Parliament back in December 2021, the Expropriation Act, insofar as it attempts to allow for nil compensation, is immediately open to a court challenge for being inconsistent with the Constitution,” explains Ellerbeck.

“This sounds alarmist, but every citizen in the country will face impoverishment and hunger if the Expropriation Act, 2020 is not changed to align with the Constitution and with sound economic principles in mind,” says van der Rheede. “For this reason, the Foundation urges Members of Parliament’s National Assembly to find each other. If at least a third are concerned about the Expropriation….continue reading this article HERE.

 

Dipuo Peters: {2009 – 2014} Peters served as Minister of Energy, focusing on energy access and the development of renewable energy projects. She aimed to improve energy efficiency and promote sustainable energy practices.

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

  • November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. There was a German, an Italian and Van der Merwe on death row.The warden gave them a choice of three ways to die:

    1. to be shot

    2. to be hung