- Trump accuses South Africa of land confiscation and mistreating certain groups.
- He announces a cut in future U.S. funding to South Africa until an investigation is completed.
- The controversy centers on South Africa’s new land expropriation law without compensation.
President Donald Trump has sharply criticized South Africa over its land policies, accusing the country of “confiscating land” and “treating certain classes of people very badly.” Trump made the comments on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday, following South Africa’s recent legislation allowing the government to expropriate land without compensation in certain circumstances.
The announcement came with the news that Trump would be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until further investigation into the situation is completed.
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South Africa’s land issue has been a source of contention for years, particularly following the end of apartheid.
The government has sought to redress the imbalances of land ownership that were skewed under white rule, but these efforts have sparked debate and criticism.
Many conservatives, including tech billionaire Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa, have voiced opposition to the expropriation of land, viewing it as a harmful policy for both white landowners and the country’s economy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa signed a bill into law last month that allows the government to expropriate land in the public interest, with the possibility of offering “nil compensation.” The law aims to address the legacies of apartheid-era land dispossession but has drawn concerns that it could lead to widespread land grabs, similar to those seen in neighboring Zimbabwe after its government seized white-owned commercial farms starting in the 1980s.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump expressed his displeasure over South Africa’s approach. “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,” he wrote. “I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!”
Trump later elaborated on his remarks in a media briefing, accusing South African leadership of “doing some terrible things, horrible things,” without providing specific examples. “They’re taking away land and confiscating land, and actually they’re doing things that are perhaps far worse than that,” he said, adding that the situation was under investigation.
While South African officials have downplayed fears of arbitrary expropriation, insisting that the government must negotiate with landowners before taking action, critics remain worried.
The law has revived fears of a repeat of Zimbabwe’s controversial land seizures, where land was often taken without compensation, leading to economic collapse and international condemnation.
The land issue in South Africa has become a focal point for right-wing commentators, particularly among those with ties to the country.
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Elon Musk, a staunch supporter of Trump, has previously criticized South Africa’s land reforms, citing concerns over the potential economic consequences. Musk, born in Pretoria in 1971, left the country during his late teens but has continued to weigh in on the debate, often aligning with conservative viewpoints.
Billionaires such as Peter Thiel and David Sacks, both of whom have close ties to Trump, also share a history in southern Africa. Thiel, a PayPal co-founder like Musk, lived in Namibia under South African apartheid rule and has faced accusations of sympathizing with the regime, claims which he has denied.
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