South Africa’s second-largest political party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has launched a legal challenge against the country’s controversial land expropriation law, arguing that it gives the government excessive powers and could discourage investment.
The case, filed on Monday, is expected to deepen tensions within South Africa’s governing coalition, where the DA governs alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC), just months before municipal elections in November.
The disputed Expropriation Act, signed into law by President Ramaphosa in January 2025, allows the government to acquire land for public purposes or in the public interest. In limited cases, authorities may do so without paying compensation.
The ANC says the legislation is designed to address deep inequalities in land ownership that remain decades after the end of apartheid.
Although the law has sparked years of heated political debate, the South African government says no land has been expropriated under the legislation so far.
The DA, which positions itself as a pro-business party, argues that key provisions of the law are too broad and lack sufficient safeguards. It says the uncertainty created by the legislation could weaken investor confidence and hurt economic growth.
The ANC has defended the law, describing it as a major step towards correcting historical injustices.
Land ownership remains one of South Africa’s most sensitive issues, with most privately owned farmland still held by the country’s white minority despite more than three decades of democracy.
Political analyst Sandile Swana believes the court battle is unlikely to collapse the coalition government, despite exposing major policy differences between the two parties. He described the legal dispute as a political contest that both sides are expected to manage without ending their partnership.
The Expropriation Act also drew international attention after U.S. President Donald Trump cited the legislation when his administration suspended aid to South Africa last year. Pretoria has repeatedly rejected claims that its land reform policy unfairly targets any racial group, insisting the law follows legal principles found in many democracies.
The DA’s application will be heard alongside two separate legal challenges filed by organisations representing Afrikaner interests.
Those groups argue that white Afrikaners face discrimination, an accusation the South African government strongly denies.