Confirming it with IOL on Friday, AgriSA CEO Johann Kotzé cleared the false narrative that land was abruptly taken away from the owners.
Image: Se-Anne Rall
AgriSA has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump's social media assertion that South Africa is seizing land and 'treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,' emphasising that no land is being confiscated by anyone.
Confirming this with IOL on Friday, AgriSA CEO Johann Kotzé dispelled the false narrative that land had been abruptly taken from its owners. He said this was disinformation regarding the Act’s intent.
“To be clear, no seizures or confiscations of private property have taken place. Nor has any land been expropriated without compensation. Isolated cases of land grabs and trespassing have been dealt with.
“Additionally, rumours linking farm murders to the signing of the Act are baseless and irresponsible. Farmers remain productive and committed to their operations,” he said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law on January 23.
Kotzé stated that the controversy surrounding the act is adversely affecting the investment climate for South African agriculture.
“For years, AgriSA has been actively involved in legislative developments impacting the agricultural sector. When amendments to the Expropriation Act No. 63 of 1975 were first proposed in the early 2000s to align it with the 1996 Constitution, AgriSA played a key role in discussions,” he said.
AgriSA recently urged Ramaphosa to either return the Bill to the National Assembly for reconsideration or consult the Constitutional Court regarding its constitutionality.
“Our appeal included an independent macro-economic impact assessment by GOPA Group South Africa, which reaffirmed our position that private property rights are essential for capital formation, economic growth, and job creation,” he said.
He stated that they follow up on the matter.
Trump also threatened to halt funding for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to South Africa, pending an investigation into allegations of land expropriation.
The US secretary Marco Rubio said he will not attend the G20 talks in South Africa amid escalating tensions between Washington and Pretoria over the controversial Expropriation Act. This is despite the government saying it was not true.
IOL Politics
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