Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson and Deputy Sihle Zikalala Wrestle Over Expropriation Act

POWER DYNAMICS: Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson and his Deputy Sihle Zikalala are at each other’s throats over implementing the Expropriation Bill, recently signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: DPWI

The expropriation bill, which President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law on Thursday, has pitted the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), Dean Macpherson, against his deputy, Sihle Zikalala.

This was after the two expressed contradictory views on X (Twitter) today, 24 January 2025, with Mcpherson dismissing Zikalala’s eagerness to implement the expropriation law as nothing more than a personal “opinion.”

The Expropriation Act is the latest policy battleground between the DA and the ANC, Mcpherson and Zikalala’s political homes, respectively. The DA and the ANC are part of Ramaphosa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), formed after the 2024 general elections. 

Others included the Basic Laws Amendment Act (BELA) and the National Health Insurance Act. 

The Expropriation Bill, which repeals the pre-democratic Expropriation Act of 1975, sets out how state organs may expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons.

Macpherson, a DA member in the GNU, took to X on Friday morning to voice his opposition to the bill.

“As the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, there will be NO expropriation of private property without compensation on my watch. The guarantee of property rights under Section 25 of the Constitution is not up for debate and is non-negotiable,” Mcpherson wrote. 

A few hours later, Zikalala, a member of the ANC national executive committee (NEC), voiced his support for the new Expropriation Act and said they were looking forward to implementing it. 

“We stand ready to defend the Expropriation Act and ensure its timely implementation!,” Zikalala responded. 

Macpherson fired back, claiming that Zikalala was arrogating to himself powers that he did not have. He dismissed Zikalala’s support for the Act as a personal view. 

“In terms of the law, only Ministers implement Acts and regulations. Anyone who claims to speak for the department is just giving an opinion,” Macpherson fired back. 

Insiders within the Department allege that Macpherson and Zikalala are not on speaking terms. They are alleged only to show a united front when on public platforms.

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