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Trump Cuts Funding to South Africa Over Land Confiscation and Human Rights Concerns
Edited by: Fern Sidman
President Donald J. Trump made a decisive announcement on Sunday via his Truth Social platform, declaring that he would be cutting off all future U.S. funding to South Africa. Trump’s decision, he stated, comes in response to what he called the country’s mistreatment of “certain classes of people” and its controversial new land expropriation policy. The Jewish Press reports that Trump has called for a full investigation into the situation before any U.S. aid can resume.
The move comes in the wake of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent signing of an expropriation bill, which grants the government the authority to seize land under “nil compensation” in cases deemed to be in the public interest. According to a report that appeared on Monday in The Jewish Press, the law is part of a broader effort to address land inequalities stemming from the apartheid era, yet it has drawn sharp criticism from conservatives, particularly South African-born billionaire Elon Musk. Musk, a known Trump ally, has been vocal about his concerns over the policy, with The Jewish Press noting that his influence over key U.S. agencies has recently grown, including control over the Treasury’s payment system and access to USAID intelligence.
In a press briefing on Sunday, Trump intensified his criticism of South Africa’s leadership, calling their actions “terrible things, horrible things,” though he did not provide specific examples. The Jewish Press reported that South African authorities maintain that the law does not allow arbitrary land confiscations and that the government must first negotiate with property owners before expropriation. However, many South Africans, particularly white landowners, fear a repeat of Zimbabwe’s post-1980 land seizures, where white farmers were stripped of their property without compensation, leading to economic collapse.
Trump’s announcement has already sent economic shockwaves through South Africa. According to the report in The Jewish Press, the South African rand plummeted by 1.9% against the U.S. dollar following Trump’s declaration, hitting a low of 19 rand per dollar. With U.S. aid to South Africa amounting to approximately $440 million in 2023, the sudden freeze in funding could have serious consequences for the country’s economy, especially given that The Jewish Press reports Trump’s administration has paused all foreign aid for 90 days, leaving South Africa’s main aid agency in limbo.
Beyond economic concerns, Trump’s decision to target Pretoria may be welcomed by many in Israel. As The Jewish Press report indicated, South Africa has taken a hostile stance toward Israel, accusing the Jewish state of genocide in Gaza. The South African government filed a petition with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023, demanding emergency measures against Israel under the Genocide Convention. Israel firmly rejected the allegations, with The Jewish Press reporting that officials labeled South Africa as “Hamas’ legal arm” and maintained that Israel’s military actions were an act of self-defense following Hamas’ brutal October 7 attacks.
Despite Trump’s direct challenge to South Africa’s policies, President Ramaphosa has downplayed the fallout. During last month’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ramaphosa insisted that he was “not worried” about U.S.-South Africa relations, pointing out that he had spoken with Trump after the election. However, as The Jewish Press report noted, with South Africa currently holding the G20 presidency, the country’s diplomatic positioning may become increasingly complicated amid rising tensions with Washington.
While the Biden administration has yet to comment on Trump’s move, The Jewish Press underscores that the implications could be far-reaching. With the U.S. halting aid, international investors may rethink their commitments to South Africa, and concerns over the country’s economic trajectory are likely to grow. Whether Ramaphosa’s government will be forced to make concessions remains to be seen, but for now, South Africa finds itself on a collision course with the United States under Trump’s leadership.
