Afriforum CEO Kallie Kriel. Picture: Jacques Nelles
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel says his organisation will officially request the United States of America (USA) to be selective in punishing South Africa over land expropriation.
Kriel was reacting to US President Donald Trump’s announcement to “cut off all funding” to South Africa. On Sunday, Trump claimed that South Africa was “confiscating” land and “treating certain classes of people very badly”.
“It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much a mention. A massive Human Rights violation, at a minimum, is happening for all to see,” wrote Trump on his Truth Social platform.
“The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed.”
On Thursday, 23 January, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law. It sets out how state organs may expropriate land in the public interest for various reasons.
The Act follows a five-year process of public consultation and parliamentary deliberation and aligns legislation on expropriation with the Constitution.
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“Local, provincial and national authorities will use this legislation to expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons that seek, among others, to promote inclusivity and access to natural resources,” said the president at the time.
“In terms of this law, an expropriating authority may not expropriate property arbitrarily or for a purpose other than a public purpose or in the public interest.
“Expropriation may not be exercised unless the expropriating authority has without success attempted to reach an agreement with the owner or holder of a right in property for the acquisition thereof on reasonable terms.
“An expropriating authority is therefore obliged to enter into negotiations with the owner of a property required for such purposes.”
Ramaphosa’s decision has since faced opposition from AfriForum, DA and the EFF, among other parties.
While the DA and AfriForum were opposed to the decision in its entirety, the EFF argued that the Act was a legislative cop-out by the ANC.
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“It is only used to fool our people into believing that the party is doing something to address the almost tyrannical neglect of the land question in this country,” said the EFF.
“It will not assist in resolving the tragedy of land restitution in this country, which has hollowed out State coffers for compensation to white settlers who illegitimately own our land.”
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has welcomed Trump’s decision to investigate the Expropriation Act.
“We trust that President Trump’s advisors will leverage this investigative period to deepen their understanding of South Africa’s policies as a constitutional democracy.
“Such insights will ensure a respectful and informed approach to our democratic commitments,” said Lamola on Monday.
He said that SA “is a Constitutional democracy, and the expropriation law referenced is not an exception”.
“Many parts of the world have expropriation laws that are used in the public interest and for public purposes”.
ALSO READ: Will the Expropriation Act destroy the GNU?
However, AfriForum does not want Trump to punish South Africa as a whole, only a few politicians.
Kriel announced that his organisation would write to Trump to ensure his “punishment” affects only a few ANC leaders instead of a blanket approach.
“Afriforum will officially request the USA to directly punish senior ANC leaders and not the people of South Africa,” said Kriel.
“We, as ordinary citizens, are already being punished by a hostile and foolish government and Presidency
in South Africa and do not want to be punished as well.”
Kriel said AfriForum had previously warned President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC that the signing of the Expropriation Bill into law and the enforcement of the country’s existing racial laws would have serious negative implications for investor confidence in South Africa.
EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said Trump’s threats were “a clear misconception of what the Expropriation Act means, and an obvious belief of AfriForum/DA propaganda.”
He further slammed the US leader for “fundamentally undermining our sovereignty”.
ALSO READ: Expropriation Bill strains ANC and DA’s GNU alliance
“Ultimately, if SA uses its Constitutional mechanisms to expropriate land without compensation to address historical imbalances and land theft, then a threat to ‘punish’ SA for this is again a form of imperialism.”
Additional reporting by Marizka Coetzer
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