Cabinet approves expropriation bill

Cape Town - Cabinet has approved the draft expropriation bill and it will now be tabled in Parliament, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said on Thursday.

The bill was meant to replace legislation dating from 1975 and "align the overarching legislation governing the expropriation of property to the values and provisions of the Constitution", he told journalists following Cabinet's regular fortnightly meeting.

Government tried to get an earlier version of the bill passed in 2008 but shelved it after its constitutionality was questioned.

The current version recognises the jurisdiction of the courts in determining the compensation due for expropriated property.

Critics say, though an improvement, this change will in practice only benefit citizens who can afford potentially lengthy litigation.

Other concerns about the legislation include that it extends the power to expropriate assets from the minister of public works to all organs of state.