- Trump suspends US aid to South Africa over land expropriation law.
- Ramaphosa defends policy, calls it a “constitutionally mandated process.”
- US-South Africa tensions escalate amid disputes over foreign policy and human rights.
US President Donald Trump has suspended aid to South Africa, escalating tensions with Pretoria over a contentious land expropriation law designed to address historical inequalities from apartheid.
In an executive order signed on Friday, Trump condemned the law for its “shocking disregard” for property rights, accusing the South African government of enabling land seizures from ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation. The Expropriation Act, recently signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has sparked international debate, with Trump claiming it fosters racial discrimination and state-sanctioned inequality.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- 45% of Nigerian Girls Become Mothers Before 18 — World Bank
- ECOWAS Faces Historic Defection as Three West African Nations Withdraw
- Netanyahu to Meet Trump at White House Next Week
Trump’s directive also criticized South Africa’s foreign policy, citing its legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and growing ties with Iran as factors undermining US national security and global interests. As a further measure, the order pledges US support for Afrikaners seeking resettlement abroad due to “race-based discrimination.”
The dispute between the two leaders intensified earlier this week when Trump accused Ramaphosa’s administration of “confiscating land” and violating property rights. In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced his decision to skip the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, citing “deep concerns” over South Africa’s policies.
Ramaphosa, however, defended the law as a constitutionally guided initiative to ensure equitable land access and dismissed Trump’s claims as misrepresentations. Addressing parliament on Thursday, he vowed that South Africa “will not be bullied” and emphasized the country’s commitment to a fair redistribution process.
The expropriation law permits land seizures without compensation under conditions deemed “just and equitable,” particularly for unused properties or when negotiations with owners fail. The ruling African National Congress argues that the measure is crucial to correcting longstanding disparities in land ownership caused by colonial dispossession and apartheid-era segregation.
The South African government has yet to expropriate any land under the new law.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the country’s largest opposition party and a key member of the ANC-led national unity government, has strongly criticized the legislation, warning that it poses a risk to property rights and could deter vital foreign investment.
The DA, which garners most of its support from white, Indian, and multiracial South Africans, has also pushed back against Trump’s claims, insisting that the law does not permit land seizures to occur arbitrarily.
Land ownership remains a deeply contentious issue in South Africa due to the lasting effects of apartheid, which governed the country from 1948 to 1994.
FURTHER READING
- [VIDEO] Commotion Rocks PDP BoT Meeting as Faction Confront Each Other
- NiDCOM Prepares for Deportation of Nigerians from U.S
- BREAKING: Sowore Pleads Not Guilty to Cybercrime Charges Filed by Police IG
According to a 2017 government audit, Black South Africans—who constitute more than 80% of the population—own just 4% of privately held farmland. In contrast, white South Africans, comprising about 7% of the population, control roughly three-quarters of the country’s agricultural land. These figures reflect the enduring racial disparities in land distribution.
Trump’s campaign against South Africa coincides with his broader push to cut back on foreign aid, including moves to significantly scale down the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
In 2023, Washington allocated approximately $440 million in aid to South Africa, according to the latest US government data.
