DA federal council adopts motion to oppose land expropriation without compensation
JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA)'s highest decision-making body has officially adopted a motion to oppose expropriation of land without compensation.
The party said its federal council voted unanimously to reject the "nil compensation" as expressed in the Expropriation Act, signed into law earlier in 2025.
The DA, which forms part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), said it will continue with its legal pursuit to declare the Expropriation Act unconstitutional.
The act said expropriation without compensation - or nil compensation - happens under strict conditions when the land is not in use, abandoned, or acquired through state subsidies.
Dean Macpherson - DA member and Minister of Public Works - caused a stir when he said this recently about nil compensation.
'People confuse an unlawful act of expropriation without compensation as expropriation with nil compensation. Nil compensation is clearly defined, and it's not the same.'
DA national spokesperson Karabo Khakhau said the party's federal council has reaffirmed its longstanding position against nil compensation in favour of Section 25 of the Constitution.
'That just and equitable compensation, adjudicated by a court of la,w must be paid for any expropriation.'
The DA said secure private property rights are essential for economic growth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
34 minutes ago
- The Citizen
City of Johannesburg councillor allegedly used municipality's BMW X3 for political activities in KZN, says DA
A court ruling this year stripped most members of the mayoral committee of their bodyguards and luxury official vehicles. The DA in Johannesburg is requesting an urgent investigation into the use of a city-owned luxury vehicle by one of the members of the Government of Local Unity (GLU) for party activities. The party claims that one of the members of the mayoral committee travelled to KwaZulu-Natal last weekend using the City's BMW X3. This vehicle was part of the security detail for members of the mayoral committee before the South Gauteng High Court put an end to the City's controversial VIP Protection Policy. In a statement, DA shadow MMC for Public Safety, Solomon Maila, said the mayor should investigate if the implicated councillor is in contempt of court. 'The DA in Johannesburg has written to Executive Mayor Dada Morero to ensure that a full investigation is conducted into allegations that a member of his Mayoral Committee travelled to the eThekwini area in KwaZulu-Natal for party-political activities during the weekend of 30 May to 1 June 2025 using the City's official BMW without consent. 'The DA understands that this vehicle was procured as part of the City's implementation of the VIP Protection Policy that was declared unconstitutional and invalid Gauteng High Court on 2 January 2025,' he said. The municipality bank card is used for fuel Maila said whistleblowers had informed them that the BMW X3 had been refuelled twice over the weekend when it was in use at the ratepayers' expense. 'Which suggests that it travelled for more than 1000 km in that period. 'According to the DA's sources in the city, the First National Bank (FNB) card linked to the said vehicle was used for the refueling and the payment of tollgates to and from KwaZulu-Natal,' Maila said. He said this was an abuse of municipal resources if the allegations are true. 'These allegations point to a possible unlawful use of a motor vehicle without the necessary consent. If proven, these allegations would mean that the said MMC has also acted in contempt of the High Court, which is another criminal offence,' he said. The DA says it wants the mayor to investigate the movements of the vehicle between May 30 and June 1, 2025. ALSO READ: DA tables motion of no confidence in Johannesburg mayor and speaker 'Criminal charges must be laid' The DA also wants to know the identity and portfolio of the MMC who used the vehicle, as well as details about the driver and their role within the Department of Public Safety. 'The DA will not rest until there is full accountability. Criminal charges must be laid against the implicated MMC and every municipal official in the city who aided and abetted the MMC in the commission of these alleged criminal offences. 'The culture of criminal impunity in the city must be nipped in the bud,' he said. NOW READ: 'Joburg is in free fall' — Next month could be make or break for Mayor Dada Morero
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Merafong residents brace for major tariff hikes after municipal budget approval
Residents of Merafong are set to experience significant increases in municipal service charges from 1 July 2025, after the 2025/2026 municipal budget was officially approved during a Special Council Meeting on 28 May. The newly approved budget outlines steep hikes across various services: Water tariffs will rise by 15.30% Electricity tariffs will increase by 8–11%, depending on usage Sewerage services will go up by 9.5% Refuse removal will increase by 6% Sundry tariffs will also rise by 6% In addition, property rates for residents living in towns will rise by 5%, while agricultural properties and Public Service Infrastructure (PSI) will see a 3% increase. Mine property rates will rise by 4.4%. The total budgeted expenditure exceeds R2.7 billion, with the largest portion allocated to debt repayment, followed by spending on bulk purchases such as water and electricity. Employee-related costs are expected to total R466,720,835. Despite opposition from the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), the budget was passed by majority vote. These increases are likely to place additional financial strain on residents already grappling with rising living costs. The municipality has defended the hikes as necessary to ensure service delivery and cover growing operational expenses. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
ActionSA-ANC slams Zille's plans for Joburg: ‘They do not believe in black excellence'
A political expert believes that Zille could be the right person to fix Johannesburg. ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said he is shocked by Helen Zille's dream to become the next mayor of Johannesburg. The DA's federal council chairperson is considering putting her hand up to become mayor of the City of Johannesburg after next year's local government elections. According to weekend reports, Zille has been approached by some people in the DA who want her to take up this position. Black excellence in the DA In an interview with The Citizen on Sunday, Mashaba stated that this clearly shows the DA has no confidence in black leadership. 'This is deeply concerning that Helen and the DA thinks that they cannot find a single black person in this province to take over this responsibility. 'These people do not have confidence in black leaders. They have proven beyond reasonable doubt that they do not believe in black excellence,' he said. Controversy around service delivery in townships He said Joburg's townships would suffer under the leadership of a DA mayor. 'These people are under the impression that South Africa can be rescued by white people. 'If she becomes mayor the people of Soweto and Alexandra can forget about getting services,' he said. Can Zille get the numbers? Mashaba said he does not believe that Zille will become the mayor of Johannesburg because the DA has allegedly failed to function in a coalition in Johannesburg. 'She will never the get the numbers to govern on her own and I do not see her even getting support from the black communities,' he said. Can the ANC fix Johannesburg? Meanwhile, ANC regional secretary Sasa Manganye said he believes the ANC is the only party that can fix the City of Johannesburg. 'Joburg has been messed up by the DA when they took over in 2016 that is when the City even started having financial problem. How will Helen fix Johannesburg. They had an opportunity to govern Joburg and they failed,' he said. Manganye said the party hopes to retain the mayoral position beyond the 2026 local government elections. 'As the ANC we are in the right direction to fix the City and even the president is supporting our efforts in fixing the City. We will be able to put order in a number of areas and we have a number of priority, including the water issues,' he said, ALSO READ: 'Deception': Who really won the VAT fight? Political analyst weighs in Theo Neethling, a political analyst from the University of Free State (UFS), says there are positive and negative aspects to Zille's candidacy for the position of mayor in Johannesburg. 'Helen Zille has proven experience at all three levels of government and is one of the most experienced and respected politicians in South Africa. 'In my opinion, she was the most successful mayor of a metro in South Africa since 1994 and managed the city of Cape Town with great competence and efficiency. 'In 2008, she deservedly received the 2008 World Mayor Prize, which considers outstanding mayors from all over the world for the award,' he said. Neethling said he believes Zille might be the right person to fix the dilapidated city of Johannesburg. However, he said Zille's ability to lead Johannesburg will depend on the DA's performance in the upcoming municipal election. 'The DA currently stands at 26%, still behind the ANC which is at 34%, and the city will, in all likelihood, once again be governed by a coalition. 'Coalition politics in Gauteng is marked by a high degree of political turbulence, and the question is whether she would be stepping into a position that is vulnerable to potentially unstable coalition politics,' he said. The Citizen had reached out to DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp regarding some of the comments made by the ANC and ActionSA. This article will be updated as soon as the comments are received. NOW READ: Zille to the rescue: Will she save Joburg as the city's mayor?
