US President Donald Trump has accused South Africa of committing human rights abuses against white farmers, escalating tensions between the two nations as the US moved to freeze financial aid.
Taking to Truth Social on Sunday, Trump claimed, “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY.” His remarks followed an executive order signed on Friday, halting US assistance to the country.
The South African government strongly rejected Trump’s claims, calling them “a campaign of misinformation and propaganda aimed at misrepresenting our great nation.”
The debate over the status of white South African farmers has long been a focal point for right-wing and far-right political groups in the US. Trump justified his aid freeze by pointing to South Africa’s recently enacted land law, which he argued violates property rights. He also cited the country’s decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over allegations of genocide.
In response, South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation criticized the move, stating that it fails to acknowledge “South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid.”
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, a close Trump ally and South African native, also weighed in, questioning on X why President Cyril Ramaphosa supported what he called “openly racist ownership laws.”
Ramaphosa has not directly responded to Trump’s statements but has previously defended South Africa’s land reform policies. He has insisted that no land has been confiscated and that the new legislation is aimed at ensuring fair access to land.
The law, passed last month, permits expropriation without compensation under certain conditions, such as when land is unused, abandoned, or poses a risk to public safety. The government maintains that the policy is necessary to correct historical injustices and promote equitable land distribution.
Trump’s executive order stated that the US “cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country” and would not resume aid until “these unjust and immoral practices” ceased.
Additionally, the White House announced plans to assist South African farmers seeking resettlement in the US. Officials said they would prioritize Afrikaners—white descendants of Dutch and French settlers—under the United States Refugee Admissions Program.
The order also referenced South Africa’s stance in the ICJ case against Israel, accusing Pretoria of “taking aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies” while strengthening ties with Iran in commercial, military, and nuclear affairs.
Earlier in the week, Trump told reporters that South Africa’s government was “doing some terrible things, horrible things,” adding that Washington was investigating the situation.
Accusations of illegal land seizures and violence against white farmers have circulated for years among right-wing activists in both South Africa and the West. Trump previously raised the issue in 2018 when he directed then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to look into “large-scale killings of farmers.”
In an effort to de-escalate tensions, Ramaphosa reached out to Musk, reaffirming “South Africa’s constitutionally embedded values of the respect for the rule of law, justice, fairness, and equality.”
SOURCE: BBC
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