U.S. President Donald Trump cuts financial aid to South Africa due to the Land Expropriation Bill claims. Image: Sky News.
(The Post News)– U.S. President Donald Trump announced a halt to financial aid for South Africa, claiming that South Africa was taking land and mistreating certain groups.
Trump labelled this as a significant human rights violation ignored by the media, stating that the U.S. “won’t ignore this, and we will take action,” also pledging to stop all future funding until a thorough investigation is conducted. Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, has responded by saying his organisation will request the U.S. to respond cautiously to South Africa’s new Expropriation Act, a reaction to Trump’s decision to cut aid over concerns about land confiscation and human rights. Minister Ronald Lamola, in his response, welcomed Trump’s investigation, expressing hope it would enhance U.S. understanding of South Africa’s constitutional policies.
The Expropriation Bill, signed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on January 23, provides guidelines for government land acquisition for public purposes. Ramaphosa assured that the law complies with the Constitution, preventing arbitrary land seizures. On the day of signing, he clarified, “An expropriating authority may not expropriate property arbitrarily or for a purpose other than a public purpose or in the public interest.”
The law sparked mixed reactions, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) criticising it for varied reasons. The DA completely opposes it, while the EFF believes it does not sufficiently address land reform, saying it merely tricks people into thinking the government is tackling the land issue seriously.
Meanwhile, opposition party EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo dismissed Trump’s stance as a misunderstanding, accusing him of siding with AfriForum and DA propaganda. Thambo argued that threatening South Africa for using constitutional mechanisms to expropriate land without compensation is another form of imperialism.
AfriForum, however, argues that broad sanctions would harm ordinary citizens. Kriel urged Trump to target senior ANC leaders rather than the general populace, stating, “AfriForum will officially ask the USA to directly punish senior ANC leaders and not the people of South Africa.”
In an interview with eNCA, Ernst van Zyl from AfriForum stressed the need for specific actions against individuals without causing widespread harm. He said, “We believe any international response should be carefully planned to avoid negative effects on the general South African population,” emphasising AfriForum’s commitment to ensuring South Africa’s policies are scrutinised fairly.
As tensions rise over the Expropriation Act, the South African government and critics remain in conflict over the law’s impact and the potential consequences of U.S. involvement.
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