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South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa
South Africa has criticised recent United States President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze aid to the country over a contentious land expropriation law.
According to France 24, the South African government described the move as part of a “campaign of misinformation” and rejected claims that the law allows the government to seize land from white farmers without compensation.
“We are concerned by what seems to be a campaign of misinformation and propaganda aimed at misrepresenting our great nation,” the government said on Saturday, as reported by France 24.
Land ownership remains a sensitive issue in South Africa, where much of the farmland is still in white hands, despite the official end of apartheid three decades ago.
The government defended the legislation, stating that it merely clarifies the legal framework for expropriation and does not introduce new measures.
The law allows for land expropriation without compensation only under just and equitable conditions, which officials say will be applied in limited circumstances.
Trump, in an executive order issued on Friday, claimed that the law enables the South African government to take land from Afrikaners—descendants of European settlers—without payment.
The order also criticised South Africa’s stance on the war in Gaza, particularly its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
In response, South Africa’s foreign ministry accused the US of failing to acknowledge the country’s historical struggle with colonialism and apartheid.
Officials also pointed out the perceived contradiction in Trump’s order, which offers refugee status to affected Afrikaners while his administration continues to deport vulnerable people from other parts of the world.
The White House defended the decision, with State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stating that “persecuted South African farmers” would be welcomed in the US and that America would support those facing “expropriation without compensation and other intolerable abuses.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed the accusations, emphasising that his country would not be “intimidated” by external pressure.
In a national address, he warned against rising nationalism and protectionism in global politics.
On social media, many South Africans mocked the US stance, with some questioning whether Afrikaners would now be referred to as “Amerikaners.” Others downplayed the idea of mass evictions, noting that most estates and private reserves remain under white ownership.
Afriforum, a small Afrikaner advocacy group, welcomed Trump’s intervention but maintained that white South Africans should remain in their home country. According to 2022 data, white South
Africans make up approximately seven per cent of the population, with Afrikaners being a subset of this group.
Elon Musk, the South African-born billionaire and Trump ally added to the controversy by accusing the government of implementing “openly racist ownership laws.”
