US President Donald Trump recently announced that he would cut all future funding to South Africa over claims that the country was confiscating land and mistreating certain groups of people. This follows a new law signed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, which allows land to be taken without compensation in some cases.
Land ownership has been a major issue in South Africa, with much of the land still owned by white people, even though apartheid ended 30 years ago. Many people in the country have called for land reform to address the unfair distribution of land from the time of racial segregation.
President Ramaphosa responded to Trump’s statements, saying that South Africa is a constitutional democracy committed to justice and equality. He also clarified that the government has not seized any land. The new law is designed to ensure more equitable land access and is a legal process set out in the country’s constitution.
Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa and is now a Trump adviser, also joined the debate, criticizing the country’s land ownership laws. He questioned why South Africa has “openly racist ownership laws” in a post on social media.
In a statement on his platform, Truth Social, Trump said he would stop future funding to South Africa until a full investigation into the land issue is completed. He claimed that South Africa’s actions were “horrible” and said the country might be doing even worse things than just taking land.
South Africa’s International Relations Minister, Ronald Lamola, responded, hoping that Trump’s advisers would take the time to understand South Africa’s policies. He emphasized the importance of a respectful and informed approach to the country’s democratic commitments.
Ramaphosa’s office reiterated that the law does not allow arbitrary land seizures. Instead, it requires the government to first try to reach an agreement with landowners before taking action. Critics worry, however, that the law might lead to economic problems like those experienced in Zimbabwe, where land seizures led to a damaged economy.
In 2018, Trump also criticized South Africa’s land reform policies, asking the US Secretary of State to investigate the situation. South Africa at that time dismissed Trump’s comments, calling them misinformation.