Johannesburg, South Africa – The United States President Donald Trump threatened this week that he would cut South Africa into all funds, which he claims to be an illegal land grip by authorities in Pretoria.
Trump’s claim is based on the fiction that white South Africa is the target of illegal land conflict, in which the South African government has strongly denied.
“South Africa is seizing the land, and treating some sections of people very badly,” Trump wrote on Sunday. “The United States will not stand for it, we will work. Also, I will eliminate all future funds to South Africa until a thorough investigation into this situation is complete!”
In response, South Africa’s President Serial Ramfosa denied rapidly to any government -approved visits, saying: “The South African government has not seized any land.”
Last month, South Africa adopted the confiscation Act, a law that helps the state to withdraw the land that is in the public interest, with a contract, to remove the disparity in ownership that decades. The racist was due to colorful rule.
Ramphosa, while defending the law, explained that it facilitates public access to the land rather than acting as a “confiscation tool”.
“South Africa, the United States and other countries have always had confiscation laws that balance the need for public use and property owners’ rights,” Ramfosa explained in a statement after Trump’s comments. Do. “
South Africa is a constitutional democracy that is deep in the rule of law, justice and equality. The South African government has not seized any land.
The recently adopted confiscation Act is not a confiscation tool, but is a constitutional compulsory legal …
– Serial ramphosa 🇿🇦 (Cyrilramaphosa) February 3, 2025
During this debate, the billionaire born in South Africa and a close adviser to Trump, Elon Musk, also weighed, accusing the Ramphosa government of “openly racist property laws” while South Africa. Minerals’ Minister of Resources said that if Trump eliminates financial support, South Africa should consider preventing mineral exports. America
So, what is behind South Africa’s land policy, is there really some groups being targeted in the country, and why have Trump made these comments now? Here’s what to know:
What is the control of the earth, and why is it happening?
The Disciplinary Act was signed by Ramfosa in January. With the purpose of removing ethnic disparity in ownership after color in 1994, it will be easier to seize some land for the state.
The South African government says the law does not allow it to seize property, and that the landlord should reach an agreement.
The government has emphasized that the law enables a “constitutionally compulsory legal process” and allows it to be confiscated without compensation in the circumstances considered “fair and equal and public.”
Commenting on the implementation of the confiscation Act, a land expert and South African lawyer Timbika Nigokitobi said it was a legislative process designed to pave the government for the public interest.
He emphasized, “Hysteria is naughty about the confiscation act.”
NG Civicitobi explained that this act allows “nail compensation” for the land that is considered necessary for the good of the public, which may include property that is unused or pose a threat to the public.
“Riots have been misrepresented, as if [to say] The conflict has never happened and what the ANC wants to do is the grip of Zimbabwe -style land, which is not clearly a matter, “he said, citing the African National Congress Ramphsa’s party.
Does the government unfairly target South Africa?
On Sunday, Trump’s comments that South Africa was “treating some sections of people” was done without providing any evidence. His words returned to his first administration when he restored illegal claims that white South African farmers were “widespread killings”. At that time Pretoria had said that Trump was wrong.
Afrum, a right -wing lobby group, representing the interests of African -speaking white -speaking South Africans, has lobbyed to Trump and the US Congress, and has alleged that the rights of property are threatened after the approval of the confiscation Act.
For many years before, the group sought permanently supporting support in the United States, promoting the story that white landowners face unfair ethnic laws, which can lead to property confiscation and That is a wide, politically encouraging politically encouraged against white farmers.
It has also fed the myths on social media in recent years that a “white genocide” has been happening in South Africa.
Researchers and academics have eliminated claims that farm attacks and robbery are politically encouraged, rather they argue that they are part of a widespread violent crime problem in South Africa, the world. One of the most dangerous countries.
“South Africa has a clear issue of violent crime,” said Professor Rudolph Zen, a criminal expert, saying that violent incidents are not limited to white -owned fields.
In light of Trump’s statements this week, Afrum announced plans to lobby the US government for sanctions against ANC politicians, saying that South African residents don’t need to tolerate the consequences of Trump’s comment Is However, many people argue that spreading misunderstandings on the issue is partly responsible for telling the story that Trump is now believed.
What is the history of land disposal in South Africa?
Education of people from their land – especially black and indigenous people – was a fundamental feature in the history of South Africa, which was deeply connected to the country’s brutal colorful government and the colonies.
An important law, a local Land Act of 1913, prevented Black South Africa from buying or renting land in the designated “White South Africa”, which resulted in the forcibly eliminating the population.
According to the Freedom Charter, the foundation founded during the anti -struggle and a foundation of the current constitution, the land “should be related to the one living in it”. But 30 years after the end of color, the earth inequality remains intact, the majority of the black population is still the worst.
Since the advent of democracy in 1994, the South African government has given rise to land ownership issues, and ground reform debates are becoming increasingly related to political dialogue.
According to the latest census, the white of South Africa has a slight part of the population of South Africa. According to the 2017 official data, but owns more than 70 % of all private -owned fields in their country.
Experts say the ongoing landowners, which are widely found in favor of a minority, have brought reforms and conflicts.
This long -standing context complicates the story presented by Trump and his supporters, as it reflects on the ongoing struggle for a more equal distribution of land in the diverse population of South Africa.
Why is South Africa’s Land Policy now a problem for Trump?
Political analyst Ongama Matimka said Trump’s comments could have been influenced by misconception, but he was also part of a broader foreign policy agenda.
“Trump is either invalid, but he is well aware of what he means, but he is manipulating the ANC in a row to get in his foreign policy choice. Is part of foreign policy strategy.
Trump’s threat of aid to South Africa has come to light when he has imposed sanctions on countries such as Canada and Mexico and financing the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for the next three months Suspended.
South Africa’s stance on thrilling Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on its genocide in Gaza has also affected Trump’s stance, Matimka said. “That definitely has something to do with it,” he said.
This is not the first time that Trump has raised the issue of attacks on white South Africans. When he was president in 2018, he said on Twitter that he was then considering his Foreign Secretary, Mike Pompeo, “land and fields in South Africa” and “mass killing of farmers”. Directed.
Matimka said that if Trump’s comments were affected by his close adviser, Musk, he would not be surprised, who have long criticized the South African government’s change policies.
In 2023, Musk accused the Ramfosa government of allowing the white farmers to be “genocide”.
After Trump’s new comments, Kasturi further increased the case Monday Responding to a post through Ramfosa’s official account on X with this question: “Why do you have racist property laws?”
Since then, Ramphosa’s office announced that the couple had been discussed about “misinformation and deterioration of South Africa.”
The South African presidency said, “In this process, the president reaffirmed the constitutional status of South Africa to respect the rule of law, justice, justice and equality.”
What does Trump’s statements mean for South Africa-US relations?
The South African government said it wanted to engage with the United States on the country’s ground reform policy, and that the country was committed to its constitutional democracy.
Ramfosa added that he would engage in Trump.
“We believe that of these engagements, we will share a better and common understanding on these issues,” he said.
While Ramfosa took a measure of the measuring of Trump’s threat, South African Minister of Minerals and Petroleum Resources were more indicated.
Addressing a mining conference on Monday, he advised that if the funding kit is off, South Africa should consider stopping their mineral exports. This is important, because South Africa exports numerous minerals to the United States, including platinum, iron and manganese.
South Africa received nearly $ 440 million in aid from the United States in 2023, according to a Reuters report. However, South Africa rejected the results of Trump’s aid reduction results, saying that the United States provides no significant funds other than the US president’s emergency plan, for which any other important fund besides the US president’s emergency plan. Does not provide. AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which Ramphusa has said is formed only 17 % of South Africa’s programs to deal with HIV/AIDS.
Matimka said that although South Africa should not be dishonored, it may not be sure that it does not need the United States because it is South Africa’s second largest export partner. “Stupid fundamentalism will not work much more than us,” he said.
The South Africa benefits from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows duty -free access to the US market for a significant part of South Africa’s goods. AGOA ends in September 2025.
On Monday, as a result of Trump’s threat, South Africa’s Rand, stock and government bonds all fell, as these comments made investors anxious about the diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries.
