- President Ramaphosa denies Trump’s claim that South Africa is confiscating land.
- Ramaphosa invites the Trump administration to engage on the country’s land reform policies.
- He downplays the significance of U.S. funding, stating that the U.S. remains a key partner.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday strongly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent accusations that South Africa was “confiscating” land and mistreating certain groups.
Ramaphosa expressed his willingness to explain his government’s land reform policies to Trump, following the president’s remarks on social media.
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Trump’s comments were sparked by South Africa’s new Expropriation Act, which was signed into law last month.
The law allows the government to expropriate land without compensation in certain cases, as part of efforts to address the lingering inequalities of land ownership caused by apartheid.
Trump had accused South Africa of land confiscation and said the country was “treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,” threatening to cut future U.S. funding to the nation.
Ramaphosa was quick to refute Trump’s claims, stating in a press release that “The South African government has not confiscated any land.”
He clarified that the new law is not a tool for arbitrary land seizure, but rather part of a “constitutionally mandated legal process” to ensure equitable access to land. The law allows the government to expropriate property for public use, but it requires negotiations with landowners before any action is taken.
“The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument,” Ramaphosa emphasized, urging that the process is guided by the principles of fairness and justice as outlined in South Africa’s constitution. He also expressed optimism about engaging with the Trump administration to clarify South Africa’s land reform approach, which has been a subject of contention both domestically and internationally.
Land ownership remains a highly sensitive issue in South Africa, with much of the country’s farmland still controlled by white landowners, decades after the end of apartheid.
Attempts to redress these imbalances have faced criticism, particularly from conservative figures, including South Africa-born tech billionaire Elon Musk, a prominent advisor to Trump.
In his statement, Ramaphosa also downplayed the significance of U.S. funding to South Africa, noting that aside from the PEPFAR anti-HIV/AIDS initiative, which represents just 17% of South Africa’s HIV program, there is little U.S. financial aid to the country. “The US remains a key strategic political and trade partner for South Africa,” he added.
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Ramaphosa concluded by expressing hope for constructive discussions with the Trump administration, aiming for a shared understanding of land reform and bilateral relations moving forward.
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