President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded to threats by US President Donald Trump to cut funding to South Africa over the country’s new expropriation laws.
Trump accused South Africa of “confiscating land and treating certain classes of people very badly,” alluding to the Expropriation Act signed by Ramaphosa in January.
Trump vowed to cut off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation is completed.
In response, Ramaphosa’s office denied that the South African government has confiscated any land, stating that the new laws are not an instrument for confiscation but a constitutionally mandated legal process to ensure public access to land in an equitable and just manner.
Ramaphosa emphasized that South Africa is a constitutional democracy deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice, and equality. He expressed his willingness to engage with the Trump administration to reach a common understanding over the land reform policy.
The presidency noted that the United States is a key strategic political and trade partner for South Africa.
However, it downplayed the impact of Trump’s threats, stating that with the exception of PEPFAR Aid, which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIV/AIDS program, there is no other significant funding provided by the United States.
Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community, X/Twitter or Google News online channel.