Trump freezes aid to S. Africa, citing law to 'seize' land

President Donald Trump on Friday froze U.S. aid to South Africa, citing a law he claims allows the government to seize agricultural land from white farmers, despite denials from Johannesburg.

In an executive order, Trump alleged the law would enable authorities to confiscate farmland owned by ethnic Afrikaners without compensation. The order also referenced broader U.S.-South Africa policy clashes, particularly regarding the Middle East.

Land ownership remains a highly sensitive issue in South Africa, where decades after apartheid, white farmers still control most agricultural land. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government has faced mounting pressure to implement reforms.

Trump further stated that the United States would “promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination.”

The South African government has dismissed Trump’s claims as misinformation, saying the expropriation act signed last month does not authorize land confiscations.

Musk and Rubio weigh in

Elon Musk, a South African-born U.S. businessman and a close ally of Trump, has accused Ramaphosa’s government of enforcing “openly racist ownership laws.

” Reports suggest that efforts to license Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa have been delayed due to policies requiring major firms to provide 30% equity to historically disadvantaged groups.

Further escalating tensions, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would skip upcoming G20 talks in South Africa, claiming the host country has an “anti-American” agenda.

With U.S. aid now on hold and diplomatic tensions rising, the fallout from Trump’s decision is likely to deepen the rift between Washington and Pretoria.