President Donald Trump on Friday halted US aid to South Africa, citing concerns over a law he claims allows land seizures from white farmers. This move comes despite repeated denials from the South African government.
Trump’s executive order states that the law would allow the South African government to “seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.”
The order also highlights foreign policy tensions between the two nations, particularly regarding the Middle East.
Land ownership remains a deeply sensitive issue in South Africa, where most farmland is still controlled by white landowners nearly 30 years after apartheid ended. The government faces mounting pressure to implement reforms addressing historical injustices.
In his statement, Trump also pledged US support for Afrikaners seeking to relocate, saying the United States would “promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination.”
Recently, Trump accused South Africa of confiscating land through the Expropriation Act, signed into law last month. However, the South African government has dismissed this as misinformation.
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, a native of South Africa and a Trump ally, has echoed these concerns. He accused President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration of implementing “openly racist ownership laws.”
Additionally, reports indicate that efforts to license Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa have stalled due to a policy requiring major companies to provide 30 percent equity to historically disadvantaged groups.
Further escalating tensions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would boycott upcoming G20 talks in South Africa, citing what he described as the host government’s “anti-American” stance.
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