DA leader John Steenhuisen has lambasted President Cyril Ramaphosa for ghosting his Government of National Unity (GNU) partners, over signing the controversial Land Expropriation Act into law, claiming that he found out on social media.
”When you make decisions, and you don't consult the rest of your party, the parties in the coalition, without even giving a courtesy call to the leaders, knowing how contentious the expropriation bill has been, that it's not being a good steward or a good partner of the GNU,” Steenhuisen said in a media briefing on Tuesday.
Ramaphosa signed the bill on January 24, after five years of heated debates and disagreements from political parties.
The bill, which seeks to provide a legal framework for land expropriation for public purposes, has faced strong opposition from various political parties and civil rights groups.
Some argued that the bill does not go far enough in facilitating land redistribution, while others oppose any form of land expropriation without compensation.
Steenhuisen, whose party is part of the ANC-led GNU, slammed Ramaphosa for signing the bill without prior consultation with coalition members, including the DA.
“There was no urgency on it. We could have had a discussion about it. We could have decided to refer it back to Parliament,” he argued.
He said the DA leadership was shocked when they learned of the signing of the bill on social media, during his return from the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Steenhuisen argued that such action demonstrated a lack of respect for coalition partners.
“My party is rightly asking questions of me. But what was discussed in the GNU? he asked.
The DA has argued that the bill does not meet the constitutional requirements and that its passage could lead to arbitrary land seizures.
The DA’s Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson also expressed concern that he was not consulted before the bill’s signing and criticised ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile, for suggesting that he should resign if he did not implement the bill.
Meanwhile, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), another coalition partner in the GNU and together with the EFF, also rejected the bill, arguing that it does not provide a radical shift from the past policies.
The IFP has vowed to table new legislative proposals to resolve the land crisis in the country.
Tensions within the GNU have been growing for months, with the DA criticising the ANC’s handling of issues including the economy, land reform and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill.
The signing of the Expropriation Bill is the latest flashpoint in the coalition's internal conflicts.
The GNU was formed after the 2024 general elections where no party secured a majority. The ANC, led by Ramaphosa, established a coalition government at a national level with the DA, IFP, Good Party, and other smaller parties.
IOL Politics