Land Expropriation And Trump's Threat: Anc And Da Show Rare Unity

The African National Congress ANC and Democratic Alliance DA have displayed rare unity against misinformation and misconception around the Expropriation Act - albeit with contrasting interpretations.

In separate statements on Monday 3 February, the two government of national unity GNU parties reacted to US President Donald Trumps threat to cut funding to South Africa for land confiscation.

The ANC accused civil rights group AfriForum of orchestrating a misinformation campaign which has now found an amplifier in Trump.

President Trumps recent tweet, echoing AfriForums false claims of land confiscation, is a direct result of the lobby groups ongoing efforts to mislead the global community and protect apartheid-era land ownership patterns, the party claimed.

It further accused the group being a defender of white minority privilege and using fearmongering to undermine land reform, block economic transformation and maintain an oppressive status quo.

AfriForums lobbying efforts in the US and other countries have deliberately misrepresented South Africas Expropriation Act, which is a fair, constitutional mechanism aimed at reversing historical land dispossession, the ANC added.

It is unacceptable that AfriForum continues to seek external intervention against a sovereign countrys domestic policies-policies that are necessary to address the legacy of land dispossession caused by colonialism and apartheid.

It backed President Cyril Ramaphosas commitment to engaging the US administration on the matter but warned that it will not tolerate racist distortions aimed at undermining our national sovereignty and transformation agenda.

The DA similarly sought to clarify misconceptions that the Act allows the government to seize land arbitrarily.

While the Act does need to be amended to meet the sequencing requirements as highlighted by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, there are also opportunities to deal with other concerns that have been raised in the public since the assenting to the Act, it said.