The Presidency said land cannot be expropriated without it being in the public interest.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday signed the Expropriation Bill into law.
The Bill allows for expropriation of land with no compensation, if it’s in the interest of the public or public purpose.
Although the Bill was adopted by the National Assembly in 2020, it was opposed by the DA, FF+ and civil society groups.
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In a statement, the Presidency said the Bill allows for local, provincial and national authorities “to expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons that seek, among others, to promote inclusivity and access to natural resources”.
It added that property cannot be expropriated without it being in the public interest.
The Bill states that expropriation can only take place an attempt has been made at reaching an agreement around the acquisition of land.
“An expropriating authority is therefore obliged to enter into negotiations with the owner of a property required for such purposes,” said the Presidency.
“An expropriating authority must also attempt to reach an agreement on the acquisition of the property before resorting to expropriation – except in circumstances where the right to use property temporarily is taken on an urgent basis in terms of a provision in the legislation.”
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