The Truth About South Africa's Land Expropriation Act

A Big Stick South Africa South Africa on Monday rejected accusations by US President Donald Trump over a newly adopted land confiscation policy, after the American leader threatened to cut off aid to the country over the issue, Reuters reported. The dispute stems from a new land expropriation law that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed last month. Under the law, authorities will be allowed to take land for “a public purpose or in the public interest.” Special conditions must be met before land can be expropriated, such as whether it has longtime informal occupants, whether and how it is being unused, if it is held purely for speculation, or if it is abandoned. Officials said the legislation is aimed at addressing the racial disparities in land ownership that persist three decades after the policy of Apartheid ended in 1994. But over the weekend, Trump claimed that South Africa is “confiscating land” and “certain classes of people” were being mistreated, describing it as a “massive human rights violation.” He said he would cut off all future funding to the African nation until “a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Ramaphosa and other officials countered that the government has not confiscated any land while urging the US president to engage in dialogue to have a better understanding of the issue. He also played down the slashing of aid, noting that US funding accounted for 17 percent of South Africa’s HIV/ AIDS program and that there was “no other significant funding” from the United States. In 2023, the US committed roughly $440 million in aid to South Africa, with the majority of the amount going to counter HIV/ AIDS. Even so, the controversy brought to the forefront the issue of land reform in South Africa, where it remains a very politically charged topic. For decades, the country has tried to address the legacy of colonial and apartheid eras that led to Black South Africans being dispossessed of their lands and denied property rights. Ramaphosa’s coalition partners objected to the signing of the bill, with some warning that it threatens private ownership, according to the BBC. South African-born billionaire and Trump ally, Elon Musk, also waded into the matter by describing the new laws as “openly racist,” a charge South African officials dismissed.