South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday rejected former U.S. President Donald Trump’s accusations that the South African government is “confiscating” land and stated that he is ready to explain his administration’s land reform policy to the U.S. leader. Trump’s comments, posted on social media Sunday, sparked widespread criticism and were dismissed by many as incorrect and even labeled “misinformation.”
Trump’s remarks came after the signing of the Expropriation Act by President Ramaphosa, which stipulates that the government may, in certain cases, take land without compensation for public interest purposes. The U.S. politician also accused Pretoria of “treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY” and threatened to cut funding to South Africa.
The issue of land ownership in South Africa remains a contentious one, as the majority of farmland is still owned by white South Africans, nearly 30 years after the end of apartheid. The government has faced pressure to address this inequality through land reform initiatives.
In response to Trump’s statement, Ramaphosa issued a public statement clarifying that the South African government has not confiscated any land and that the Expropriation Act is not an instrument of confiscation. According to Ramaphosa, the law is a constitutionally mandated process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner. He emphasized that the government’s approach is to engage landowners and reach agreements before any expropriation takes place.
“We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest,” Ramaphosa’s statement added.
The issue of land reform has drawn both support and criticism within South Africa. The Democratic Alliance (DA), the main business-friendly party in the country, also criticized Trump’s statement, asserting that the Expropriation Act does not allow arbitrary land seizures and requires fair compensation for legitimate expropriations. The DA expressed support for further engagement between the South African government and the Trump administration to clarify the situation.
Julius Malema, leader of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), called Trump’s statement “offensive,” arguing that it undermines South Africa’s sovereignty and reminded Africans of the dangers of foreign influence on their policy decisions.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, described Trump’s remarks as an unfortunate case of “misinformation and deliberate distortions,” primarily spread by right-wing groups. He also noted that South African officials would engage with U.S. counterparts to address the concerns raised.
AfriForum, a right-wing group representing white Afrikaners, which has strongly criticized the Expropriation Act, indicated it would request that Trump direct any punitive measures at senior leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) rather than ordinary South Africans.
Meanwhile, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe suggested South Africa could respond to the U.S. by withholding its mineral resources. “If they don’t give us money, let’s not give them minerals,” Mantashe stated, urging the continent to leverage its mineral wealth to its advantage during a conference on mining in Africa.
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