FILE PHOTO: PIXABAY
The Freedom says it is willing take its fight against the controversial Expropriation Bill all the way to the Constitutional Court, if needs be.
The party, which is vehemently opposed to the Bill has warned that should it be adopted, it would destroy South Africa’s economy, and “seriously reduce stability in the country”.
The Bill was adopted by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and will now be tabled again in the National Assembly for the adoption of the amendments that were proposed by the NCOP before President Cyril Ramaphosa can finally signs it into law.
“At this stage, it is abundantly clear that the ANC will do everything in its power and use its numbers to steamroller the Bill through before the elections,” said FF Plus leader Dr Pieter Groenewald. .
“The Bill is no different from expropriation without compensation and will jeopardise all property ownership.” He said the Bill “clearly stipulates that it applies to all movable as well as immovable property, such as intellectual copyright”.
'LAST-DITCH EFFORT'
Groenewald explained: “This means that no one in South Africa will be able to claim sole ownership of his or her possessions as government can dictatorially expropriate any possession at will”.
“The FF Plus considers expropriation without compensation to be unconstitutional and will fight this matter all the way to the Constitutional Court alongside the other political parties and organisations that feel just as strongly about it.”
The Democratic Alliance has also come out strongly against the Bill and said it too would challenge any attempt to have it signed into law.
“Earlier today [Tuesday], the ANC-led government bulldozed yet another ruinous bill through the National Council of Provinces in a desperate, last-ditch effort to cobble votes together in the run-up to the national and provincial elections in May 2024,” the DA said in a statement.
It said the Expropriation Bill amounted to nothing more than introducing expropriation without compensation through the legislative backdoor.
