US President Donald Trump said on Sunday, without citing evidence, that "certain classes of people" in South Africa were being treated "very badly" and that he would cut off funding for the country until the matter is investigated.
"South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY," Trump said in a Truth Social post.U.S. President Donald Trump on cutting aid to South Africa: "It's only South Africa, terrible things are happening in South Africa, the leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things... so that's under investigation right now, we're making determinations and until such… pic.twitter.com/CcLXXw6DDG
— Ofentse Donald Davhie (@donalddavhie) February 3, 2025
"The United States won't stand for it, and we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!" he said.
The United States obligated nearly $440 million in assistance to South Africa in 2023, the most recent US government data showed.
Last month, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill that would make it easier for the state to expropriate land in the public interest.
The law aims to address racial disparities in land ownership that persist three decades after apartheid's demise in 1994.
South Africa's foreign ministry said in response to Trump's post that "we trust President Trump's advisers will make use of the investigative period to attain a thorough understanding of South Africa's policies within the framework of a constitutional democracy."South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY. It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 2, 2025
It added: "It may become clear that our expropriation act is not exceptional, as many countries have similar legislation."
South Africa currently holds the G20 presidency, after which the US takes over.
US-South Africa relations
Last month, Ramaphosa said he was not worried about the country's relationship with Trump. He said he had spoken to Trump after the latter's election victory and looked forward to working with his administration.
During his first administration, Trump said the US would investigate unproven large-scale killings of white farmers in South Africa and violent takeovers of land. Pretoria, at the time, said Trump was misinformed. It is unclear whether the Trump administration carried out an investigation.
Trump's close ally Elon Musk was born in South Africa. In 2023, Musk replied on X to a video of a far-left South African political party singing an old anti-apartheid song, "Kill the Boer (farmer)," by stating: "They are openly pushing for the genocide of white people in South Africa."
"Cyril Ramaphosa, why do you say nothing?" Musk asked.
Musk met Ramaphosa in the US in September last year, and they discussed investment in South Africa.