Ramaphosa Slams Trump’s ‘Misinformed’ Comments on South Africa’s Land Reform

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa criticizes former U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks on land reform, calling them ‘misinformed’ and dismissing foreign interference.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a strong response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to withdraw funding from the country.

On Sunday, Trump claimed that South Africa was “confiscating land” and accused the nation of “treating certain classes of people very badly.”

In his Monday address, Ramaphosa refuted Trump’s claims, asserting that South Africa’s land reform is conducted legally and transparently to rectify historical injustices.

He conveyed his disappointment regarding the U.S. President’s choice to halt future funding while an investigation is conducted.

Ramaphosa emphasized South Africa’s commitment to maintaining diplomatic relations with the United States while asserting that it will not compromise its internal policies focused on promoting equity and economic growth.

“South Africa is seizing land and mistreating certain groups of people. I will halt all future funding to South Africa until a thorough investigation into this situation is conducted!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Later, during a press briefing with journalists, Trump stated that South Africa’s leadership is engaged in “terrible things, horrible things,” although he did not provide any examples.

“That matter is currently under investigation. We’ll make a decision once we understand what actions South Africa is taking—such as land seizures and confiscations, which may be part of even more concerning activities,” he added.

In his response on Monday through his X account, Ramaphosa emphasized that South Africa, as a democratic nation, upholds the rule of law, justice, and equality. He clarified that the government has not “confiscated any land.”

In response to the funding cut announced by Trump, Ramaphosa acknowledged that although the US is a key political and trade partner, he clarified that South Africa only receives benefits from the US-funded PEPFAR Aid. This aid makes up 17% of South Africa’s HIV/AIDS program.

His tweets state, “South Africa is a constitutional democracy firmly grounded in the rule of law, justice, and equality. The South African Government has not seized any land.”

The newly enacted Expropriation Act is not a tool for confiscation, but rather a constitutionally mandated legal procedure that guarantees fair and equitable public access to land in accordance with the guidance of the constitution.

South Africa, similar to the United States and other nations, has consistently maintained expropriation laws that balance public land use with protecting property owners’ rights. We anticipate engaging with the Trump administration regarding our land reform policy and bilateral interests. Through these discussions, we are confident in reaching a shared understanding of these issues.

The United States continues to be an important strategic political and trade partner for South Africa. Apart from PEPFAR Aid, which accounts for 17% of South Africa’s HIV/AIDS program funding, no other financial aid is received by South Africa from the U.S.

According to AFP, land issues in South Africa have historically been contentious. Efforts to address inequalities stemming from past white-rule have faced criticism from conservatives, including Elon Musk—one of the world’s wealthiest individuals and a significant Trump adviser—who was born in South Africa.

It was observed that last month, Ramaphosa signed a bill allowing the government to offer “nil compensation” under specific conditions when expropriating property for public interest purposes.

Pretoria contends that the bill does not permit arbitrary government expropriation of property and requires efforts to reach an agreement with the owner first.

However, some groups are concerned about a scenario reminiscent of the Zimbabwean government’s post-independence seizure of white-owned commercial farms in 1980, often carried out without compensation.

— South African billionaires —

Land ownership remains a contentious issue in South Africa, as the majority of farmland is still owned by white individuals three decades after apartheid ended.

Since then, land courts have resolved several land disputes and, following thorough processes, restored property to its former displaced owners.

According to the South African government, the 1913 Natives Land Act resulted in thousands of Black families being forcibly displaced from their land during the apartheid regime.

The sensitive issue has become a significant rallying point for the right, with various conservative figures such as Musk and right-wing journalist Katie Hopkins advocating for white land-owners.

Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria to a father who worked as an engineer and a mother originally from Canada who pursued modeling. He left South Africa during his late teenage years. The country’s official apartheid policy continued until 1990, with multi-racial elections taking place in 1994.

Trump has surrounded himself with influential Silicon Valley figures who grew up in apartheid-era southern Africa, such as David Sacks, his newly-appointed chief of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency initiatives. Sacks was a co-founder of PayPal alongside Musk.

Another PayPal cofounder and billionaire, Peter Thiel—who introduced Trump to his vice president J.D. Vance—also spent time living in southern Africa, including a period when Namibia was under Pretoria’s control.

He has faced past accusations of supporting the apartheid system, which violently oppressed South Africa’s Black majority to maintain white dominance and economic control; however, a spokesman denied these allegations on his behalf.

maintain a steadfast commitment to its internal policies focused on promoting equity and driving economic growth.