No privately owned land in South Africa is safe

Freedom Front Plus leader Corné Mulder said the Ekurhuleni Metro’s decision to expropriate land without compensation shows that no privately owned land in South Africa is safe.

Mulder said it was crucial for all stakeholders to join hands in preventing the Ekurhuleni Metro’s bid to expropriate land worth approximately R30 million without compensation.

He warned that if this decision were to stand, it could set a legal precedent with severe consequences for South Africa.

The case involves a 34-hectare plot of land in Driefontein in Boksburg that belongs to Business Venture Investments 900 (BVI 900).

The company is not contesting the expropriation, but objects to the nil compensation offered by the Ekurhuleni Metro.

The case, which has a direct bearing on section 25 of South Africa’s Constitution, will be heard by the Johannesburg High Court in February next year.

The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) will engage with organisations, such as the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), the Transvaal Agricultural Union (TLU SA), and Sakeliga, to take action.

“The case raises serious questions about the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s truthfulness about the reality of expropriation without compensation,” Mulder said.

Ramaphosa said South Africa, like the United States, has always had expropriation laws to balance the need for public use of land with protecting property owners’ rights. 

“He openly denied that expropriation without compensation is taking place in South Africa to President Donald Trump,” Mulder said.

Ramaphosa added that he looks forward to bilateral discussions with the Trump administration to reach a common understanding on the matter.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa has already signed the new Expropriation Act, which provides for nil compensation. He described it as a “first step toward transformation and land reform”.

This incident of expropriation in Ekurhuleni clearly demonstrates that those were certainly not hollow words and that no privately owned land in South Africa is safe.

Mulder added that Ramaphosa was not playing open cards with President Trump regarding the issue of expropriation without compensation.

“The Freedom Front Plus will see to it that the US administration is thoroughly informed of the actual state of affairs,” he said.

“This serves as tangible proof that property rights in South Africa are by no means secure, regardless of the Constitution’s provisions.”

The Freedom Front Plus reminded President Ramaphosa of the conditions set by the Trump administration for restoring trade relations between South Africa and the US.

One such condition is that property may only be expropriated for market value following a proper legal process.

The Freedom Front Plus believes it is realistic to expect a wave of expropriations without compensation if the Ekurhuleni Metro is ultimately successful in this case.

“It may simultaneously create a dangerous precedent for the future, which could deprive landowners of any future legal recourse,” Mulder said.

“This is a serious matter affecting all South Africans. So, for now, all South Africans should set their differences aside and join hands to safeguard property rights in our country.”