ANC says DA holding it back from expropriating land without compensation

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has launched a scathing attack on the Democratic Alliance (DA).

He accused its co-governing partner of standing in the way of land redistribution and the broader transformation of South Africa’s economy.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview on Power 98.7 with Dr Mbuyeseni Ndlozi, Mbalula argued that the DA’s political influence within coalition arrangements is preventing the ANC from “advancing policies aimed at addressing historic inequality.”

This is particularly related to the expropriation of land without compensation. He called the DA a “mouthpiece” of the defence of private capital.

“The DA is there to push back against that from happening,” Mbalula said. “They are the stumbling block. When we get our majority back, we will deal with this.”

The ANC lost its three-decade-long majority in the 2024 general elections, getting around 40% of the vote. It formed a coalition with the DA, which received over 20% of the vote, and several other smaller parties.

Mbalula maintained that economic inequality has worsened in the three decades of ANC rule.

As long as wealth remains concentrated in a small elite, Mbalula said, the country cannot consider itself truly liberated.

“Inequality in our country has actually deepened,” he said. “Today, we think we are totally liberated. We are not, because the power of the economy is in the hands of the few.”

Economic backlash – but with big consequences

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Section 25 is the property clause that regulates the right to property and includes provisions for expropriation with provisions for compensation.

The clause of compensation is one of the most hotly contested issues, with some pushing for land expropriation without compensation, while others argue for the protection of private property rights and just compensation.

The ANC, he insisted, has long said that amending Section 25 of the Constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation is key to redressing apartheid-era dispossession.

But attempts to change the constitution long stalled, failing multiple times when it had the majority in Parliament.

The ANC has wanted to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to expedite land reform, though the process has faced challenges and ultimately failed to pass the necessary legislation to do so.

The party did not receive the required two-thirds majority in Parliament in December 2021 because of its deadlock with the EFF.

The ANC and EFF had fundamental disagreements on the details of the amendment, such as the EFF’s desire for state custodianship of all land versus the ANC’s compromise of “custodianship of certain land”. 

The EFF pushed for a total state takeover of all land, which the ANC opposed, opting instead for a compromise of “custodianship of certain land”.

The ANC also resisted the EFF’s call to completely remove the obligation to compensate for expropriation.

Since then, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill in January 2025 to allow for land expropriation without compensation in certain instances, but it is being hamstrung by GNU partners.

This Act replaces the apartheid-era Expropriation Act of 1975 and allows for “nil compensation” in limited cases.

“If we’ve got to implement laws, let’s take land, which is one thing in terms of amending Section 25 of the Constitution for land redistribution,” Mbalula said. “The DA is there to push back against that from happening.”

Yet, he warned that if South Africa were to implement full-scale land redistribution, there would likely be an economic backlash and capital flight.

This would be similar to what occurred in Zimbabwe following its fast-track land reforms in the early 2000s.

“If you want to see white people running in their numbers out of this country to the United States, redistribute the land and then this country will turn into rubble like Zimbabwe,” he said.

However, Mbalula said that this would happen if the DA was not in the way. “There will be land redistribution… That struggle, my friend, is with me and you.”

Without a clear governing majority, he argued, the party cannot push through constitutional amendments or radical economic policies without resistance from the DA.

“When we do things with our power and majority, which we don’t have right now, the DA is there to push back,” Mbalula said.

“They’re going to run, they are going to take their money and go. There’s going to be capital flight and everything.”

The concept is currently set to play out in the country’s courtrooms. The Driefontein expropriation case concerns the City of Ekurhuleni’s 2019 decision to expropriate a 34-hectare plot of land in Boksburg without compensation for a social housing project.

Lobby group Sakeliga has publicised the case, arguing that is could set a dangerous precedent for property rights.

The city is offering zero compensation despite the land’s market value of between R30-R64 million.

The legal battle is ongoing, with the outcome uncertain as it is being decided under the old Expropriation Act of 1975 due to the new Expropriation Act of 2024 not yet being fully proclaimed. 

The DA’s EWC fight

The DA, a key partner in South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) formed after the 2024 elections, has actively resisted the Expropriation Act of 2024, signed into law on January 20, 2025.

The DA argues that the Act is unconstitutional both in substance, violating Section 25 of the Constitution that requires “just and equitable” compensation, and in procedure, claiming it was rushed through Parliament without adequate consultation.

Despite being part of the GNU, the DA has employed multiple strategies to oppose the legislation.

Internally, it invoked Clause 19 of the GNU Statement of Intent to formally dispute the Act and demand mediation, emphasizing the need for coalition decisions to respect all parties equally.

Legally, the party filed a petition in the Western Cape High Court challenging the Act, citing procedural flaws and potential arbitrary seizures of property.

Publicly, DA leaders have highlighted the economic risks, describing the Act as “job-killing” and warning it could deter investment, harm economic growth, and threaten jobs.

Ministers from the DA, such as Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson have pledged that the policy would not be implemented under their watch.

The DA has also pledged to use all judicial avenues to protect property rights, but advocates for land reform through existing restitution mechanisms.