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The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s leading opposition party, has initiated legal action against the Expropriation Act by filing a lawsuit in a provincial court. This move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump recently condemned the legislation through an executive order that suspended aid to South Africa due to its policy allowing the expropriation of property without compensation, as well as its stance against Israel and support for Iran.
As previously reported by Breitbart News, Trump issued an executive order halting aid to South Africa over its legislation enabling the seizure of property without compensation, as well as its attacks on Israel and backing for Iran.
South African President Ramaphosa signed off on a new South African Land-Expropriation Law
It allows for the expropriation of property by the state for the purposes of ethnic economic equity, meaning white property will be stolen
This is how Mugabe destroyed Rhodesia🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/FBWrwGkrWx
— Will Tanner (@Will_Tanner_1) January 24, 2025
On Monday, the DA announced that it had filed a lawsuit challenging the Expropriation Act. According to News24.com:
> The DA has ramped up its efforts to challenge the Expropriation Act and has filed court papers in the Western Cape High Court of South Africa.
This was announced in a statement by DA Federal Council Chairperson, Helen Zille.
Zille stated that the Expropriation Act, which President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed into law, is unconstitutional, both substantively and procedurally.
A statement on the DA’s website provided further details, stating (original emphasis):
> We reject this Act, because we believe that no government in a democratic country should be given such sweeping powers to expropriate property without compensation.
We have not forgotten that the apartheid government used similar powers to forcibly remove communities from their land, often with inadequate compensation or none at all. This history teaches us that true redress requires protecting property rights, ensuring that no government is ever given unchecked expropriation powers ever again.
“Cutting off all aid”: Trump takes action against South Africa
President Trump’s post likely targets South Africa’s new 2024 Expropriation Act, enabling land seizures without compensation in certain cases.
The law is designed to address “historical inequalities caused by… pic.twitter.com/WXYkQAI3z0
— UngaTheGreat (@UngaTheGreat) February 9, 2025
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Policy uncertainty about a state’s ability to protect property rights is a significant deterrent to domestic and foreign investment. It will ultimately throttle economic growth and kill jobs.
The statement did not reference Trump, and the DA has opposed the legislation for several years, but his criticism has caused a stir in South African politics.
The DA is currently in a coalition government with the country’s largest party, the African National Congress (ANC), at the national level. The dispute over expropriation has heightened tensions within the coalition.
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