The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on US President Donald Trump’s administration to reconsider threats to cut critical aid funding in response to the Expropriation Act, saying “it is not true that the Act allows land to be seized by the state arbitrarily".
In a tweet on X on Monday, Trump said he would stop providing funding aid to South Africa because he was worried that the newly passed Act would lead to land seizure.
Trump also said a certain class of people were treated very badly in South Africa.
In a bid to clarify what it described as “misconceptions”, the DA said the Act does require fair compensation for legitimate expropriations in terms of Section 25 of the Constitution.
“It is unfortunate that individuals have sought to portray this Act as an amendment to Section 25 of the Constitution to allow for Expropriation Without Compensation,” the DA said.
The DA dismissed and voted against the act in Parliament. They also vowed to fight tooth and nail to prevent the land expropriation without compensation.
It has also caused a rift between the ANC and the DA in the government of national unity (GNU).
But now, the DA seems to be supporting and defending the logic behind the Act.
IOL reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa also clarified that citizens were not land grabbers.
“The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution.
“South Africa, like the United States of America and other countries, has always had expropriation laws that balance the need for public usage of land and the protection of rights of property owners,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya on Monday.
In a statement, DA leader John Steenhuisen stressed that the US has been a longstanding and valued partner to South Africa, therefore, they cannot afford to lose the funding.
According to Steenhuisen, in 2024 alone, South Africa received R8.5 billion ($453 million) in direct funding under the Pepfar programme, with a projected R8.2 billion ($439 million) allocated for 2025.
“This funding is vital to sustaining life-saving HIV/Aids treatment and support services for the most vulnerable members of our society,” he said.
In addition, millions of US dollars flow into South African NGOs and government departments for humanitarian and environmental programmes that directly benefit the most vulnerable communities.
“It would be a tragedy if this funding were terminated because of a misunderstanding of the facts.
“The GNU is in the process of engaging the Trump administration to clarify the situation and the DA supports these efforts,” he said.
Steenhuisen said they fight for property rights.
“We successfully opposed any change to Section 25 of the constitution, which protects property rights, and we will continue to work to ensure the Expropriation Amendment Act is constitutionally sound in every respect,” he added.
The land issue has taken centre stage in the government of national unity (GNU).
IOL Politics