Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance Federal Council, the highest policy and decision-making body in the DA between Federal Congresses, passed a motion to affirm the Party’s longstanding position against Expropriation of Property Without Compensation.
The Federal Council unanimously approved the motion which confirms our support for Section 25 of the Constitution, and the well-established DA position that just and equitable compensation adjudicated by a court of law must be paid for any expropriation.
The motion which the DA Federal Council passed unanimously reads as follows:
Acknowledging that secure private property rights under the rule of law are essential to fixed investment, economic growth, job creation, and better living standards for the people of South Africa, the Democratic Alliance (DA):
- Supports section 25 of The Constitution of South Africa.
- Asserts our support that compensation must be just and equitable, as adjudicated by a court of law, in cases of expropriation in terms of the Constitution;
- Rejects the notion of ‘nil compensation’ as established by the Expropriation Act, 2024 as well as the limitations placed by the Act on rights of private property owners in contesting the terms of expropriation in court; and
- Supports the existing efforts of the DA to take the Expropriation Act, 2024 on judicial review and explore every other opportunity to render the Act less of a risk to private property rights.
The DA continues in our court case challenging the constitutionality of the Expropriation Act in the High Court.
The DA will continue to fight against expropriation without compensation, in every way that we can.
The DA Federal Council is a 149 member body, constituted of the party’s national leadership, as well as representatives of:
- the DA in all nine provinces,
- the ancillary bodies of the DA,
- DA public representatives of all three spheres of government, and
- non-public representative members of the DA.
Regards
Helen Zille
DA Federal Council Chairperson