South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, responded firmly to Donald Trump’s comments, reaffirming that “South Africa is a constitutional democracy rooted in the rule of law, justice, and equality.” He clarified that the South African government has not engaged in land confiscation but is addressing historical injustices stemming from apartheid-era land dispossession.
Ramaphosa also pointed out that the only funding South Africa receives from the US is through the health initiative Pepfar, contributing 17% to the country’s HIV/AIDS program. In 2023, the US allocated approximately $440 million in assistance to South Africa.
Elon Musk, a South African-born billionaire and Trump adviser, entered the debate, alleging that the new land reform law discriminates against white landowners. However, this ignores that land ownership in South Africa remains deeply unequal due to colonial and apartheid policies.
Trump announced via Truth Social that he would suspend future US funding to South Africa until an investigation was conducted. He later accused South Africa’s leadership of engaging in “terrible, horrible things,” including land confiscation. However, these claims misrepresent South Africa’s land reform policies.
So, #SouthAfricans were going on about how their military has the largest budget, how they manufacture arms & warplanes, yet they’re still receiving aid from a foreign power? That’s why I told you to wake up from your slumber and let go of your superiority complex. #DRCconflict pic.twitter.com/bhJBDsCY97
— Tom Close 🇷🇼 (@tomcloseOG) February 3, 2025
The new legislation allows for expropriation without compensation only when it is “just and equitable and in the public interest.” This includes abandoned or unused land, or property posing public safety risks.
Land ownership has been a contentious issue for over a century. The 1913 Natives Land Act, under British rule, stripped Black South Africans of land rights, reserving most land for the white minority. This dispossession continued under apartheid, fueling the fight for democracy.
Despite the end of apartheid in 1994 and Nelson Mandela’s election, land reform has progressed slowly. Previously, the government could only acquire land under the “willing seller, willing buyer” principle, hindering redistribution. A 2017 report found that 72% of privately owned farmland remained in white hands, despite white South Africans making up only 7.3% of the population.
Opponents warn of economic consequences, comparing it to Zimbabwe. However, the South African government insists the law is designed to address injustices while maintaining stability. Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe dismissed Trump’s threats, suggesting that if the US withholds funds, South Africa could reconsider its mineral exports, including platinum, iron, and manganese.
AfriForum, advocating for white Afrikaner interests, voiced concerns over the law but distanced itself from Trump’s funding threats, urging targeted actions against “senior ANC leaders” instead of broad sanctions.
Trump previously attacked South Africa on this issue, instructing his Secretary of State to investigate alleged “farm seizures.” The South African government accused him of being “misinformed” and sowing division.
South Africa’s land reform policy seeks to correct a historical injustice that left most of the population landless. The government’s approach is a measured effort to ensure fairness, justice, and economic sustainability rather than reckless confiscation, as Trump claims.
