Excerpt: Sakeliga has dominated media headlines with claims of a property expropriation at nil compensation. But Liberty Fighters Network (LFN) sets the record straight: this is an old case under the 1975 Act, not the new Expropriation Act. LFN has invited Sakeliga’s CEO to an open debate and offered free legal assistance — yet both were declined. Why?
If you like our work, why not consider a donation or gift of your choice?
For two weeks South Africans have been bombarded with headlines that the Ekurhuleni Municipality is expropriating land at nil compensation. Sakeliga has presented this as if it were a shocking new development under the soon-to-be-implemented Expropriation Act, 2024. But that is simply not true.
The reality is that this case, reported since 2018, falls under the Expropriation Act, 1975, which does not explicitly provide for nil compensation but has always left open the legal possibility. That is why Sakeliga itself admits that nil compensation is possible under the current law. Yet, in 31 years of ANC and EFF dominance, such powers have barely been used — because the legal and political risks are too high.
The irony? The new Expropriation Act, which is currently under challenge in the Western Cape High Court since February 2025, actually makes expropriation more constitutionally aligned and procedurally difficult than the 1975 Act. LFN has been directly involved in these proceedings as amicus curiae, alongside around 30 other parties. Sakeliga, meanwhile, is only now hinting at preparing its own challenge, long after the real battle began.
LFN has publicly invited Sakeliga’s CEO, Mr. Piet le Roux, to a live discussion on this case — on any platform of his choice. We also offered to assist the affected landowners with our expertise free of charge, in line with our public-interest mission. Both offers were refused. If Sakeliga truly seeks justice, why reject free assistance and open debate?
Instead, Sakeliga continues to drive panic through the media. That is not how you challenge unjust expropriation. It is how you destabilise trust and mislead the public.
Why the Public Should Not Panic About the New Act
South Africans need to hear the truth: the new Expropriation Act does not open the floodgates for mass confiscations. In fact, it narrows down the circumstances where nil compensation is possible, restricting it to limited cases such as:
- where assets are abandoned,
- where owners refuse reasonable settlement, or
- other narrowly defined grounds.
More importantly, unlike the old 1975 Act — which was designed under segregation to speed through expropriations with only one avenue of challenge (a costly High Court review) — the new Act creates three separate stages of objection. Property owners will now have multiple opportunities to resist expropriation, and in many cases without needing expensive legal practitioners.
This means that while the fearmongers shout about “land grabs”, the law itself actually strengthens the protection of property rights compared to the past.
Conclusion / Call-to-Action
LFN does not support state expropriation. But we reject fearmongering campaigns that weaponise half-truths. Expropriation is as certain as death and taxes — but the new law makes it harder, not easier, for government to grab property without due process.
👉 We call on Sakeliga: accept our invitation. Debate openly. Let the people see the truth.
👉 We call on South Africans: support organisations that fight in court, not in the headlines.
At Liberty Fighters Network, our mission remains the same: to protect the people with facts, with law, and with fearless action in the public interest.
Kindly consider supporting our work by giving a donation of your choice.
