South Africa denounces Trump aid freeze following controversial land reform law
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa at the Cape Town City Hall ahead of his State Of The Nation (SONA) address in Cape Town, South Africa, on 6 February 2025. REUTERS - Nic Bothma
South Africa has strongly criticized the decision of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze aid to the country over a law he claims permits the seizure of land from white farmers.
The South African government denounced the move on Saturday, calling it part of a “campaign of misinformation and propaganda” designed to misrepresent the nation.
“We are concerned by what seems to be a campaign of misinformation and propaganda aimed at misrepresenting our great nation,” the government stated. “It is disappointing to observe that such narratives seem to have found favor among decision-makers in the United States of America.”
Trump’s executive order alleges that the law would allow the South African government to seize agricultural property owned by Afrikaners, an ethnic minority, without compensation.
The order also referenced foreign policy disagreements between the two nations, particularly regarding the ongoing war in Gaza.
In response, South Africa acknowledged the executive order but emphasized its inaccuracies. “It is of great concern that the foundational premise of this order lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid,” the government said.
Land ownership remains a deeply sensitive issue in South Africa, where the majority of farmland is still held by white landowners nearly 30 years after the fall of apartheid.
The government has been under mounting pressure to accelerate land reform efforts, a move that has sparked international debate and political tension.
