President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed that forced removals will never happen again in South Africa, citing the painful legacy of the 1913 Natives Land Act and apartheid-era land dispossession.

Speaking in response to the State of the Nation (SONA) debate, Ramaphosa emphasized that the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 ensures land can only be expropriated for public interest and with fair compensation.

He recalled historical injustices, including the forced removals of 3.5 million people from areas like District Six, Sophiatown, and Cato Manor, calling them “one of the largest mass removals of people in modern history.”

Ramaphosa stressed that the Constitution guarantees land access, restitution, and protection against arbitrary dispossession.

“We are firmly committed to a non-racial, non-sexist society where South Africa belongs to all who live in it,” he stated.