President Donald Trump has threatened to halt all future US assistance to South Africa over Pretoria’s land expropriation policy.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump vowed to cut off funding to South Africa until an investigation on allegations that “certain classes” of people are being ill-treated by the Pretoria authorities.
“South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act.”
He added: “I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!”
Trump’s comments followed the recent signing of a bill by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, which aims to make it easier for the state to expropriate land from white farmers in the public interest.
The law seeks to address racial disparities in land ownership that have persisted since the end of apartheid in 1994.
The government in a statement said South Africa is a constitutional democracy deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality and denies confiscating any land.
The presidency said in a statement to APA that ”The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution. South Africa, like the United States of America and other countries, has always had expropriation laws that balance the need for public usage of land and the protection of rights of property owners”.
The government said it is looking forward to engaging with the Trump administration over the land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest.
”We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters” the statement said.
The US remains a key strategic political and trade partner for South Africa.
With the exception of PEPFAR Aid, which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIVAids programme, there is no other funding that is received by South Africa from the United States.
JN/APA