Some opposition parties believe US punishing SA for its own misunderstanding of Expropriation Act
The general consensus is that Washington doesn't understand what the Expropriation Act seeks to do and what its constitutional limitations are.
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on 31 January 2025. Picture: Mandel NGAN/AFP
CAPE TOWN - Some opposition parties believe the United States is punishing South Africa for its own misunderstanding of the Expropriation Act.
Diplomatic relations between Washington and Pretoria have recently deteriorated following unfounded claims by President Donald Trump about land grabs in South Africa.
On Wednesday, US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, announced he won't attend the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, accusing government of expropriating private property.
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It seems we are witnessing a rare occurrence where opposition parties and the government of the day are singing from the same hymn book.
The general consensus is that Washington doesn't understand what the Expropriation Act seeks to do and what its constitutional limitations are.
African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader Kenneth Meshoe said that while his party was against the Expropriation Act, it won't lead to arbitrary land grabs by government.
"Maybe they thought because it happened in Zimbabwe, it will happen here. It is unfortunate that they jumped the gun and said something is happening which is not happening. Maybe in future, we don't know, but definitely, it's not happening now, there are no land grabs in South Africa."
“They thought because it happened in Zimbabwe and the South African ruling party (ANC) supported them, maybe that’s their plan in South Africa and it’s not necessarily so,” Kenneth Meshoe, ACDP leader on the USA ‘misunderstanding’ the Expropriation Act. TCG pic.twitter.com/9ceR10w0nE
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) February 6, 2025
Meanwhile, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) national spokesperson, Sinawo Tambo, said that the US was deliberately mischaracterising the Expropriation Act.
"The USA has utilised legislation, particularly the Expropriation Act, to scapegoat something they wanted to do for a very long time, which is punish us for our position in terms of what happened in Israel and Palestine. That's the reality of it."
President Cyril Ramaphosa is on Thursday expected to speak on his administration's efforts to repair diplomatic ties between the two nations.