Donald Trump set to cut off funding to South Africa
Former US President Donald Trump has ignited controversy once again, this time taking aim at South Africa over its land reform policies.
In a statement posted on his social media platform, Trump accused the South African government of confiscating land and mistreating certain groups of people, though he did not provide any evidence to support his claims.
Trump declared that he would be cutting all future funding to South Africa until the matter is investigated, stating, “The United States won’t stand for it, and we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!”
The United States allocated approximately $440 million in assistance to South Africa in 2023, a figure that Trump now threatens to withhold.
His remarks come after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed into law a bill aimed at facilitating land expropriation without compensation under specific conditions.
This move seeks to address the ongoing racial disparities in land ownership, a legacy of apartheid that ended three decades ago.
In response to Trump’s comments, South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations emphasized that the country’s policies operate within a constitutional democracy.
The ministry stated, “We trust President Trump’s advisers will make use of the investigative period to attain a thorough understanding of South Africa’s policies within the framework of a constitutional democracy.”
Officials further noted that similar land expropriation laws exist in various other countries, suggesting that South Africa is not an outlier in this regard.
“terrible things are happening in South Africa”pic.twitter.com/XtGFMjkISr
— Koshiek Karan (@iamkoshiek) February 3, 2025
