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| Trump threatens to cut funding for South Africa over land policy | Trump threatens to cut funding for South Africa over land policy |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A new land law in South Africa has caused a stir just weeks after it was enacted | |
| US President Donald Trump has said he will cut all future funding to South Africa over allegations that it was confiscating land and "treating certain classes of people very badly". | US President Donald Trump has said he will cut all future funding to South Africa over allegations that it was confiscating land and "treating certain classes of people very badly". |
| Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill that allows land seizures without compensation in certain circumstances. | Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill that allows land seizures without compensation in certain circumstances. |
| Land ownership has long been a contentious issue in South Africa with most farmland still owned by white people, 30 years after the end of the racist system of apartheid. | Land ownership has long been a contentious issue in South Africa with most farmland still owned by white people, 30 years after the end of the racist system of apartheid. |
| There have been continuous calls for the government to address land reform and deal with the past injustices of racial segregation. | |
| "South Africa is a constitutional democracy that is deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality. The South African government has not confiscated any land," Ramaphosa responded in a statement on X on Monday morning, external. | |
| Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa and is now a Trump adviser, has also joined in the debate. | |
| "Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?" Mr Musk said to Ramaphosa in a post on X, external. | |
| On Sunday, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social: "I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!" | |
| South Africans' anger over land set to explode | South Africans' anger over land set to explode |
| He later said, in a briefing with journalists, that South Africa's "leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things". | He later said, in a briefing with journalists, that South Africa's "leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things". |
| "So that's under investigation right now. We'll make a determination, and until such time as we find out what South Africa is doing — they're taking away land and confiscating land, and actually they're doing things that are perhaps far worse than that." | "So that's under investigation right now. We'll make a determination, and until such time as we find out what South Africa is doing — they're taking away land and confiscating land, and actually they're doing things that are perhaps far worse than that." |
| South Africa's International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said in a response on X that he hoped Trump's advisers would use "this investigative period to deepen their understanding of South Africa's policies as a constitutional democracy". | South Africa's International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said in a response on X that he hoped Trump's advisers would use "this investigative period to deepen their understanding of South Africa's policies as a constitutional democracy". |
| "Such insights will ensure a respectful and informed approach to our democratic commitments," he added. | "Such insights will ensure a respectful and informed approach to our democratic commitments," he added. |
| The South African president said the government had not confiscated any land. | |
| In his response, the South African president said that the new law was not a "confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution". | |
| He said there was no other funding that is received by South Africa from the US except for the US health initiative Pepfar, which he said represented "17% of South Africa's HIV/Aids programme". | |
| The US allocated about $440m (£358m) in assistance to South Africa in 2023, according to US government data. | The US allocated about $440m (£358m) in assistance to South Africa in 2023, according to US government data. |
| The South African government says that the new law does not allow arbitrary seizures of land as it must first attempt to reach an agreement with the owner. | The South African government says that the new law does not allow arbitrary seizures of land as it must first attempt to reach an agreement with the owner. |
| The president's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, last month said the state "may not expropriate property arbitrarily or for a purpose other than... in the public interest". | The president's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, last month said the state "may not expropriate property arbitrarily or for a purpose other than... in the public interest". |
| It says that the current system of "willing seller, willing buyer" has allowed white farmers to delay the process of land reform. | It says that the current system of "willing seller, willing buyer" has allowed white farmers to delay the process of land reform. |
| However, some critics have expressed fears that the law may have disastrous consequences like in Zimbabwe, where land seizures wrecked the economy and scared away investors. | However, some critics have expressed fears that the law may have disastrous consequences like in Zimbabwe, where land seizures wrecked the economy and scared away investors. |
| In 2018, Trump had, during his first term as president, asked the-then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to study South Africa's "farm seizures and expropriations and the large-scale killing of farmers". | |
| At that time, South Africa then accused Trump of seeking to sow division with a spokesperson saying he was "misinformed". | |
| You may also be interested in: | You may also be interested in: |
| South African president signs controversial land seizure law | South African president signs controversial land seizure law |
| Is South Africa's land reform a gimmick? | Is South Africa's land reform a gimmick? |
| The groups playing on the fears of a 'white genocide' | The groups playing on the fears of a 'white genocide' |
| Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent. | Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent. |
| Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, external, on Facebook at BBC Africa, external or on Instagram at bbcafrica, external | Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, external, on Facebook at BBC Africa, external or on Instagram at bbcafrica, external |