Cape Town - The Government of National Unity (GNU) is on the verge of collapse after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law, sparking outrage among coalition partners.

The DA, the second-largest party in the arrangement, has declared a dispute and called for a reset of the coalition's relationship with the African National Congress (ANC).

DA leader John Steenhuisen slammed Ramaphosa's decision, saying it was taken without consulting GNU partners.

"The President needs to accept that his party is now just another minority party, and that the DA are partners in the GNU," Steenhuisen said.

"We will not be reduced to being mere spectators."

The Expropriation Bill has been a contentious issue, with the DA and other opposition parties opposing it on constitutional grounds.

The DA, during a press briefing at the weekend, claims that the bill was signed into law despite a legal opinion showing it did not pass constitutional muster.

“In the last week the president not only disregarded the very serious constitutional objections raised by the minister of Public Works and Infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson over the expropriation bill.

“He also failed to even have the courtesy to inform the minister about when he intended to sign the bill into force…As a mature call as a partner in the GNU for a reset in relations where we are respected and treated as a partner in the GNU and not as spectators.

“We are invoking clause number 19 in pursuit of an urgent reset in relations. Because SA deserves a functioning coalition where partners treat each other with respect in pursuit of the solutions to the countries’ many pressing problems,” Steenhuisen said.

He said the party was not going to stand to watch “this type” of legislation being passed.

Macpherson who also weighed in on the matter took a swipe at ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile.

“Myself as the minister had taken the opportunity to counsel the president in terms of my oath of office I was not taken into confidence that the bill would be signed.

“I see the deputy president of the ANC in an interview saying that if I'm not going to implement the bill I must resign…There is only one person who can tell me to resign from government and that is the leader of this party (Steenhuisen) no other leader, or a member of another political party will tell me when or how I should resign,” Macpherson said.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which is also part of the GNU and the EFF also rejected the bill, saying it does not provide a radical departure from the past and merely aligns expropriation laws with the 1996 Constitution.

The party vowed to table new legislative proposals to resolve the land crisis in the country.

The GNU was formed after the 2024 elections, in which no party won a majority.

The ANC, led by Ramaphosa, formed a coalition with several smaller parties, including the DA.

However, coalition tensions have been simmering for months. The DA has been critical of the ANC's handling of several key issues, including the economy, land reform and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill.

The Expropriation Bill has become a flashpoint in the coalition's internal conflicts.

The bill aims to provide a framework for expropriating land for public purposes, but opponents argue it is unconstitutional and could lead to arbitrary land seizures.

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya had not responded to questions at the time of publication.

Cape Argus