Ramaphosa Slams Trump Over South Africa Land Reform, U.S. Funding Cuts
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has strongly rebuked Donald Trump following the former U.S. president’s announcement to cut funding to South Africa over allegations of land confiscation and unfair treatment of certain groups.
Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform, claimed his administration would halt all future funding to South Africa pending an investigation. He alleged that the country was seizing land and treating people unfairly, though he provided no specific evidence. He later accused South Africa’s leadership of engaging in “terrible” actions.
Ramaphosa Fires Back
In a firm response, Ramaphosa dismissed Trump’s accusations as baseless, emphasizing that South Africa is a constitutional democracy built on the principles of justice, equality, and the rule of law. He stressed that the government has not engaged in land confiscation and pointed to the recently enacted Expropriation Act, which he described as a legal framework for equitable land reform. The president also noted that expropriation laws exist in many nations, including the United States.
Addressing Trump’s decision to cut U.S. aid, Ramaphosa clarified that South Africa only receives financial assistance from Washington through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which funds 17% of the country’s HIV/AIDS response. “No other U.S. funding comes to South Africa,” he stated, downplaying the impact of Trump’s decision.
Ramaphosa said he was open to dialogue with Trump’s administration to clarify South Africa’s land reform policies and other bilateral issues, stressing that constructive discussions would be beneficial for both nations. However, his response carried a sharp warning.
“Trump Should Stay Out of South Africa’s Issues”
“I don’t know what Donald Trump has to do with South African land,” Ramaphosa stated. “South Africa does not belong to Donald Trump. He must leave us alone. Stay out of our issues.”
The South African leader also drew parallels between Trump’s criticism and America’s own history of land dispossession. “Trump’s forebears arrived in America, wiped out indigenous people, and took their lands. Now he wants to lecture us? He should keep his America, and we will keep our South Africa.”
Ramaphosa reportedly vowed to tell Trump directly, should they meet in person, that his stance on South Africa’s land issue is misguided and hypocritical.
The History and Politics of South Africa’s Land Reform
The land issue remains one of the most contentious topics in South Africa. The 1913 Natives Land Act and subsequent apartheid policies dispossessed Black South Africans of their land. Although apartheid ended three decades ago, the vast majority of farmland remains under white ownership. Efforts to redress this imbalance through legal reforms have faced criticism, particularly from conservative figures linked to Trump, including South African-born billionaire Elon Musk.
Ramaphosa recently signed a law allowing for property expropriation with “nil compensation” under specific conditions deemed to be in the public interest. The South African government has defended the law as a measured approach that requires negotiation with landowners, rejecting fears of Zimbabwe-style land seizures.
Silicon Valley’s Interest in South Africa’s Land Debate
The debate has drawn attention from high-profile tech entrepreneurs with ties to apartheid-era southern Africa, including Musk and PayPal co-founders David Sacks and Peter Thiel. Both have aligned themselves with Trump and have been vocal critics of South Africa’s land policies.
With Trump’s latest intervention, the land issue has once again become a flashpoint in U.S.-South Africa relations. However, Ramaphosa has made one thing clear—South Africa’s future will not be dictated by Washington.