South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday rejected claims by United States President Donald Trump, saying Pretoria did “not confiscate” any land.
Trump on Sunday warned that he would reduce future funding to South Africa due to claims of land seizures and the alleged mistreatment of “specific groups of people.”
This statement came after Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law last month, which replaced the Expropriation Act of 1975 from the pre-democratic era.
The new legislation outlines the process by which state entities can expropriate land in the public interest for various purposes.
“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,” he said on his Truth Social platform.
Trump said the US will halt all funding to the country until a thorough investigation into the matter is completed.
However, Ramaphosa’s office said South Africa was a “constitutional democracy that is deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality.”
It clarified that South Africa was receiving only HIV/AIDS prevention funding.
“The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution,” said a statement from the office of President Ramaphosa.
“The South African government has not confiscated any land. There is no other funding that is received by South Africa from the United States.
“South Africa, like the United States of America and other countries, has always had expropriation laws that balance the need for public usage of land and the protection of rights of property owners,” said the office.
It added that Pretoria looks forward to engaging with the Trump administration over the land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest.
“We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters,” it stressed, calling the US a key South African strategic political and trade partner.