Government

United States President Donald Trump to cut off all funding to South Africa

Staff Writer

 ·3 Feb 2025

United States President Donald Trump announced that he would cut off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation into taking land from certain people has been completed.

On Monday, 3 February 2025, the United States President warned South Africa about confiscating land.

“South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people very badly,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.

“It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention,” he added.

Trump called it a “massive human rights violation, at a minimum”, saying it is happening for all to see. “The United States won’t stand for it. We will act,” he said.

“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed.”

This announcement came shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the controversial Expropriation Bill into law.

The new Expropriation Bill sets out how state organs, including local, provincial, and national authorities, can expropriate land in the public interest.

Section 25 of the Constitution recognises expropriation as an essential mechanism for the state to acquire someone’s property for a public purpose or in the public interest.

However, expropriation by the state is subject to just and equitable compensation being paid for the property.

Until now, property expropriation has been governed by the Expropriation Act of 1975, which predates the expropriation mechanism provided for in section 25 of the Constitution.

This new bill repeals the Expropriation Act and provides a common guide for the processes and procedures for the expropriation of property by state organs.

This law will assist all state organs in expropriating land in the public interest for various reasons.

Criticism of the new Expropriation Bill

There is widespread opposition to the Expropriation Act, with many stakeholders warning that it is nothing more than expropriation without compensation in disguise.

“The Bill further gives the Minister of Public Works the power to expropriate property in the public interest or for a public purpose,” the DA said.

The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) said the Expropriation Act represents a frontal assault on property rights in South Africa.

“The Act empowers the state to seize land from individuals and businesses without paying for it,” the IRR said.

“For investors, including those hobnobbing with the ANC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, this should set the alarm bells ringing.”

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has also opposed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the Expropriation Bill.

“As the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, there will be no expropriation of private property without compensation on my watch,” he said.

“The guarantee of property rights under Section 25 of the Constitution is not up for debate and is non-negotiable.”

Last week, the civil rights organisation AfriForum announced its three-point plan for fighting the controversial Expropriation Act.

AfriForum maintained that this act significantly jeopardises private property rights and must be opposed to the end.

The three-point plan will include an anti-promulgation action, legal action and an international awareness campaign against the Expropriation Act.