24 January 2025
Blaai af vir die Afrikaanse weergawe.
The Free Market Foundation (FMF) urges sweeping opposition across all spheres of civil society and politics to obstruct the reckless and unconstitutional Expropriation Act.
According to the FMF, property rights form the indispensable foundation of a free society and cannot be treated as merely a debatable ingredient to prosperity and constitutional democracy.
“The FMF rejects in the strongest possible terms Cyril Ramaphosa’s reckless abuse of his presidential pen to sign the obviously unconstitutional and illiberal Expropriation Act into law,” David Ansara, Chief Executive Officer of the FMF explains. “This Act is not merely a question of economic policy preference but an attack on the foundations of South Africa’s negotiated settlement and the pillars of freedom for all.”
All reasonable avenues, whether legal, political, or social, must be aggressively pursued to either formally repeal or practically render the Act ineffectual, the FMF argues. To this end the FMF is consulting with its legal team, through the Rule of Law Project, to marshal or participate in a legal challenge against the existential threats posed by the Act.
Expropriation for “nil compensation” is unconstitutionally euphemistic and goes against the plain text meaning of sections 25(2) and (3) of the Constitution mandating compensation.
“The Expropriation Act is an underhanded way of attempting to achieve the same ends as the failed 2021 constitutional amendment. A constitutional amendment is necessary to bring about EWC, manifested in the government’s own actions,” says Martin van Staden, FMF Head of Policy.
“By signing the bill into law, President Ramaphosa has unambiguously signalled not only his ignorance of constitutional propriety, but his rejection of the basic principles of constitutionalism. If the other partners in the GNU ever had a so-called ‘red line,’ this must be it,” Van Staden concludes.
Ends.
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FMF dring aan op omvattende weerstand teen “doemsdag” EWC-wet
24 Januarie 2025
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Die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) het aangedring op grootskaalse teenkanting vanuit alle sfere van die burgerlike samelewing en politiek om die roekelose en ongrondwetlike Onteieningswet te stuit.
Volgens die FMF vorm eiendomsreg die onontbeerlike grondslag van ‘n vrye samelewing en kan dit nie as bloot ‘n debatteerbare bestanddeel tot vooruitgang en grondwetlike demokrasie hanteer word nie.
“Die FMF verwerp in die sterkste moontlike terme Cyril Ramaphosa se roekelose misbruik van sy presidensiële pen om die ooglopend ongrondwetlike en onliberale Onteieningswet in wet te onderteken,” verduidelik David Ansara, Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte van die FMF. “Hierdie wet is nie bloot ’n kwessie van ekonomiese beleidsvoorkeur nie, maar ’n aanval op die grondslae van Suid-Afrika se onderhandelde skikking en die pilare van vryheid vir almal.”
Alle redelike weë, hetsy regtelik, polities, of maatskaplik, moet aggressief gevolg word om die wet óf formeel te herroep óf prakties ondoeltreffend te maak, voer die FMF aan. Vir hierdie doel beraadslaag die FMF met sy regspan, deur middel van die Rule of Law Project, om ‘n regsuitdaging teen die eksistensiële bedreigings wat die wet inhou op te stel of daaraan deel te neem.
Onteiening vir “nul vergoeding” is ongrondwetlik eufemisties, en gaan teen die gewone teksbetekenis van artikels 25(2) en (3) van die Grondwet wat vergoeding vereis.
“Die Onteieningswet is ‘n onderduimse manier om dieselfde uitkoms te probeer bereik as die mislukte 2021 grondwetwysiging. ’n Grondwetlike wysiging is nodig om EWC te bewerkstellig, gemanifesteer in die regering se eie optrede,” sê Martin van Staden, FMF Beleidshoof.
“Deur die wetsontwerp te onderteken, het President Ramaphosa ondubbelsinnig nie net sy onkunde oor grondwetlike behoorlikheid, maar ook sy verwerping van die basiese beginsels van konstitusionalisme te kenne gegee. As die ander vennote in die RNE ooit ‘n sogenaamde ‘rooi lyn’ gehad het, moet dit dié wees,” sluit Van Staden af.
Einde.