NAIROBI Kenya, Feb 3 – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has hit back at US President Donald Trump over threats to cut funding due to allegations of land confiscation and mistreatment of certain groups, urging him to stop interfering in South Africa’s affairs.
Trump had earlier announced plans to cut all future funding to South Africa, claiming that the country was confiscating land and “treating certain classes of people very badly.”
In a statement, Ramaphosa clarified that aside from PEPFAR funding, which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIV/AIDS program, no significant US aid is provided to the country.
However, he emphasized that the US remains a key political and trade partner for South Africa and expressed hope for constructive discussions with Trump on land reform and other bilateral issues.
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy, deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice, and equality. The South African government has not confiscated any land,” Ramaphosa asserted.
He added that South Africa, like the United States and other nations, has long-established expropriation laws that balance public land use with the protection of property rights. Ramaphosa expressed confidence that further discussions with Trump would lead to a clearer understanding on these matters.
The clash follows Trump’s statement on Sunday on Truth Social, where he declared: “I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed.”
In a briefing, President William Ruto of Kenya also condemned South Africa’s actions, labeling them as “terrible.”
Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law in January, which allows land to be seized without compensation in certain circumstances. Land ownership remains a contentious issue in South Africa, with ongoing calls for the government to address past racial injustices through land reform.
