United States President Donald Trump has announced that he is cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation into the country’s land expropriation policies is completed.
This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the Expropriation Act into law last month.
The new law allows the South African government, in specific circumstances, to expropriate property without compensation in the public interest.
Section 25 of the South African Constitution provides for expropriation as a means for the state to acquire property for public purposes or in the public interest, subject to just and equitable compensation.
The new law replaces the 1975 Expropriation Act and establishes clear procedures for expropriation in line with constitutional principles.
Trump has criticized the move, calling it a “massive human rights violation” and accusing the South African government of unfair treatment towards certain groups.
“Terrible things are happening in South Africa; the leadership is doing some horrible things, so that’s under investigation right now, and we’ll make a determination until such time as we find out what South Africa is doing. They are confiscating land, and actually they are doing much worse than that,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, has responded to Trump’s remarks, urging him to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s policies within the framework of its constitutional democracy.
“We trust that President Trump’s advisors will leverage this investigative period to deepen their understanding of South Africa’s policies,” Lamola stated on X.
“Such insights will ensure a respectful and informed approach to our democratic commitments.”
“It may become clear that our Expropriation Act is not exceptional, as many countries have similar legislation, commonly referred to as Eminent Domain in the United States and governed by various acts in the United Kingdom,” Lamola added.
VOC News
Photo: @GovernmentZA/X