President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that America would suspend aid to South Africa over its new land confiscation law.
“South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY. It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see,” Trump said on Sunday.
“The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” he added.
According to Reuters, America gave South Africa almost $440 million in assistance in 2023.
In January, South Africa passed the Expropriation Bill that allows the government to take land without compensation if it is in the public interest.
“Local, provincial and national authorities will use this legislation to expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons that seek, among others, to promote inclusivity and access to natural resources,” according to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s press release.
After Trump said he would take funding away from South Africa, Ramaphosa said on X that “South Africa is a constitutional democracy that is deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality. The South African government has not confiscated any land.”
“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,” the South African president explained.
“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,” he added.
South Africa is a constitutional democracy that is deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality. The South African government has not confiscated any land.
The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal…
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) February 3, 2025
Ramaphosa said he looks forward to “engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest.”
A land audit report by the South African government in 2017 shows that white farmers own almost 75 percent of agricultural land. Around 8 percent of South Africa is white.
Zimbabwe, a country that borders South Africa, confiscated farmland from white farmers in 2000. The country did this by forcing them off their land and not providing compensation for it. Land previously owned by white farmers went to black farmers.
As a result of these actions, Zimbabwe experienced a food shortage. In 2003, Human Rights Watch said the country had “7.2 million food vulnerable people.” This represented 60 percent of the country’s population at the time.
As of 2024, almost 40 percent of Zimbabwe’s population is “undernourished,” the Global Hunger Index says.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected]. Follow Zachery on Twitter @zacheryschmidt2.
South Africa has been a quagmire for decades. What was once a decent place to live has become a dangerous place.