ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, says all its Government of National Unity (GNU) partners entered into the agreement with the ANC fully aware that Parliament had passed the Expropriation Bill and all that was left was for the President to sign the draft legislation into law.
He was reacting to the DA’s fury over the President’s decision to enact the piece of legislation, with party leader, John Steenhuisen, pleading ignorance.
He accused the ANC of dishonestly, saying if they won’t be taken seriously – they might as well return to occupying the opposition benches in Parliament.
“These bills are not new. They went into those ministries knowing very well that the Expropriation Bill has been passed and is just awaiting the signature,” explained Mbalula to journalists.
Mbalula says President Cyril Ramaphosa followed the rule of law and the Constitution before signing the draft law.
The Freedom Front Plus has threatened legal action over the signing of the bill, while the EFF, an opposition party, has said it will fight side by side with the ANC should the party pay true to its promise.
During the National Lekgotla outcomes briefing, Mbalula encouraged the DA to explore the legal options at its disposal.
“If the DA and their partners believe what the president as signed is unconstitutional, then they have an avenue to go to court to challenge that particular bill,” said the ANC SG.
Mbalula says the signing of the Expropriation Bill into law doesn’t necessarily mean that all questions regarding “land” are finally resolved.
He says the new enacted bill is simply expanding inclusivity on the country’s resources.
“The Expropriation Act expands the scope to include the public interest such as land reform and promoting equitable access to natural resources,” he adds.
Mbalula says the Act further introduces the possibility of nil compensation circumstances involving abandoned land acquired for speculative purposes; health risk posing land, and land used for public interest without productive use, which will be guided by judicial intervention.
Mbalula describes the law as a step in the right direction and urged South Africans to refuse to be misled into thinking that all issues regarding land have now been addressed through the newly signed bill.
“We are not starting afresh; we are not inventing policy; we are simply saying that this year; what is it that we need to do? …and that will find expression in the State of the Nation Address,” explains Mbalula. Written by Odirile Rabolao
Written by: Lindiwe Mabena
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