The law of general application requirement in expropriation law and the impact of the Expropriation Bill of 2015

Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Pretoria
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie artikel word die vereiste ‘algemeen geldende regsvoorskrif’ in artikel 25(2) van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika,1996, ontleed aan die hand van die Onteieningswetsontwerp van 2015. Die relevante bepalings van die wetsontwerp laat blyk dat onteiening slegs geldig sal wees indien onteiening in wetgewing gematig word. Verder word dit duidelk gestel dat die onteieningsprosedure soos uiteengesit in die wetsontwerp gevolg moet word in alle gevalle waar eiendom onteien word, ongeag of die wetsontwerp of ander magtigende wet op gesteun word om die eiendom te onteien. Die vereistes dat onteiening in wetgewing gemagtig moet word en dat die onteieningsprosedure in die wetsontwerp gevolg moet word, laat vrae onstaan oor die korrektheid van die toestaan van vergoeding vir ’n onteiening in gevalle waar daar geen magtiging vir die onteiening in die relevant wetgewing was nie, en waar daar ook geen formele onteieningsprosedure gevolg was nie. Siende die toestaan van vergoeding vir onteiening in die toekoms slegs kan geskied in gevalle waar daar magtiging vir onteiening is en waar die onteieningprosedure gevolg was, blyk dit dat konstruktiewe onteiening nie toepassing kan vind in die Suid-Afrikaanse reg nie. Dit word gestel dat konstruktiewe onteiening slegs erken kan word in gevalle waar daar nie streng klem geplaas word op ’n statutêre basis vir onteiening nie. Daarom, indien die wetsontwerp in werking tree sal konstruktiewe onteiening nie toepassing kan vind in die Suid-Afrikaanse reg nie.
INTRODUCTION: Section 25(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, requires an expropriation to be effected in terms of law of general application and undertaken for a public purpose or in the public interest. An expropriation must also be compensated, and the standard for the amount of compensation is that it must be just and equitable. While substantial research has been conducted on various issues relating to the public purpose or public interest requirement and the calculation of just and equitable compensation, the law of general application requirement has not received similar attention. Similarly, courts have considered issues surrounding public purpose or public interest and matters concerning compensation, but little, if any, attention has been paid to the law of general application requirement. In his last article, André van der Walt therefore correctly points out that the ‘law of general application requirement’ has ‘arguably not received sufficient attention or rigorous enough analysis in case law.
Description
CITATION: Slade, B. V. 2017. The ‘law of general application’ requirement in expropriation law and the impact of the Expropriation Bill of 2015. De Jure, 50(2):346-362. doi:10.17159/2225-7160/2017/v50n2a9
The original publication is available at http://www.dejure.up.ac.za/
See also http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php
Keywords
Law of general application, South Africa -- Expropriation Bill of 2015, South Africa -- Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, South Africa -- Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 -- Section 25(2), Compensation (Law) -- South Africa, Equitable compensation, South Africa -- Expropriation Act of 1975, Public interest law -- South Africa
Citation
Slade, B. V. 2017. The ‘law of general application’ requirement in expropriation law and the impact of the Expropriation Bill of 2015. De Jure, 50(2):346-362. doi:10.17159/2225-7160/2017/v50n2a9