President Donald Trump announced that he will suspend all US aid to South Africa after the country’s government passed a law allowing for land expropriation, which could be used to take land from white citizens, like in Zimbabwe.
Trump made the announcement Sunday on his social-media site, Truth Social.
“South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,” he posted.
“It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!”
In 2023, South Africa received between $273 million and $440 million in US aid, according to different estimates.
The country’s new Expropriation Act allows it to take private land for a “public purpose,” without compensation.
There has been significant opposition to the Act, including from the country’s opposition parties, some of which are part of the country’s national unity government and therefore control important ministries such as agriculture.
Until now, the South African government has shied away from following the example of Zimbabwe, which began widespread expropriations from white farmers, with disastrous effects.
Black nationalist and communist politicians have led the calls for expropriation.