Trump To Suspend Funding To South Africa Over Land Expropriation

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would suspend future U.S. funding to South Africa in response to the country’s new controversial expropriation law, which allows land seizures by the state.

In a Truth Social post, Trump accused South Africa of seizing 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,” the president stated.

“A massive Human Rights violation, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act.”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a bill into law on Jan. 23 that allows provincial and national authorities to “expropriate land in the public interest” for various reasons, “subject to just and equitable compensation being paid.”

The expropriation law aims to address racial disparities in land ownership. 30 years after the apartheid system was abandoned, most farmland remains owned by white people.

Some members of the coalition government question the constitutionality of the law and have indicated they may challenge it in court.

The government notes that special conditions have to be met before expropriating land such as it having longtime informal occupants, being unused and held purely for speculation, or being abandoned.

“We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our 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,” Ramaphosa said in a statement issued by the presidency on Monday.

“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.”

Ramaphosa’s office stated that reasons for expropriating land can include promoting inclusivity and allowing access to natural resources. The bill would repeal the nation’s Expropriation Act of 1975, which required the state to compensate owners for the land it sought to seize.

“In terms of this law, an expropriating authority may not expropriate property arbitrarily or for a purpose other than a public purpose or in the public interest,” his office stated.

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said in a Jan. 25 statement that he strongly objects to Ramaphosa’s signing of the bill, saying it ignored legal opinion “that the Act is unconstitutional.”

The Democratic Alliance joined a coalition led by Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) after the 2024 election resulted in a political deadlock. Steenhuisen said that his party will invoke clause 19 of the coalition agreement to seek “an urgent reset in relations.”

“We won over 3.5 million votes and we are in the government to represent our voters and to rescue South Africa,” he said.

“If we cannot fulfil this mandate inside the [Government of National Unity], we will have to seriously consider our next steps.”

Trump said that funding to South Africa will be cut until a full investigation into the situation is completed.

South Africa’s foreign ministry said that it hopes Trump’s advisers will make use of the investigative period to “attain a thorough understanding of South Africa’s policies within the framework of a constitutional democracy.”

“This approach will promote a well-informed viewpoint that values and recognizes our nation’s dedication to democratic ideals and governance,” the ministry said in a statement. 

“It may become clear that our expropriation act is not exceptional, as many countries have similar legislation.”

The United States provided nearly $440 million in foreign aid to South Africa in 2023, according to government data. After taking office on Jan. 20, Trump announced a 90-day freeze on all foreign aid while a review of those programs was ongoing.

The State Department issued a waiver on Jan. 29 for humanitarian aid, including “life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.”

Ramaphosa said except for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIV/Aids program, there was no other significant funding provided by the United States.