Mashatile: SA will uphold policies despite external pressure
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has vowed that the government will stand firm on policies addressing historical injustices.
Mashatile spoke at a Human Rights Day commemoration event in the Eastern Cape on Friday and said land reform is key to healing the wounds of the past.
"The Natives Land Act of 1913, a cornerstone of colonialism and apartheid, restricted land ownership and occupation by Black South Africans, leading to forced removals and the creation of "native reserves," said Mashatile.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law in January, which led to tensions with the US.
This will allow expropriation without compensation in specific public interest cases.
Mashatile said the Act acknowledges land dispossession as one of the most lasting and challenging legacies of the apartheid era.
"We would like to reiterate that South Africa, as a sovereign state, would not disregard its policies and activities aimed at rectifying historical injustices due to external pressure.
"We are confident that we have chosen the correct path to establishing an equitable society, and we will not deviate from it."
He also said US President Donald Trump’s freeze on aid to foreign countries shows the urgent need for South Africa to build a resilient, self-reliant healthcare system.
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