President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States would freeze aid to South Africa, citing concerns over a law he claims permits the seizure of land from white farmers—an allegation the South African government has denied.
In an executive order, Trump stated that the law would allow the South African government to confiscate agricultural property from ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation. He also pointed to broader diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria, particularly regarding Middle East policy.
Land reform remains a highly sensitive issue in South Africa, where white landowners still control the majority of farmland nearly 30 years after apartheid. The government has faced mounting pressure to address historical land disparities.
Trump further announced that the U.S. would support the relocation of Afrikaner refugees fleeing what he called “government-sponsored race-based discrimination.”
The South African government has dismissed claims that it is forcibly seizing land under the newly signed expropriation act, calling such accusations misleading. However, the issue has drawn international attention, including from billionaire Elon Musk, a South African native, who accused President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration of enforcing “openly racist ownership laws.”
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service has faced licensing delays in South Africa due to policies requiring large firms to allocate 30% equity to historically disadvantaged groups.
Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would boycott the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa, accusing the host nation of pursuing an “anti-American” agenda.
