There were formulaic policy objectives for his first 100 days of react when President Donald Trump made his second, non-consecutive expression in the Oval Office. Supporters predicted frontier transformation, a walking backwards of DEI plans, and a Cabinet lineup packed with Washington outsiders. They definitely didn’t anticipate South Africa‘s violent antagonism to land-use laws.
In an effort to reconcile racial disparities in real estate ownership, the Trump administration continues to criticise South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s federal of grabbing land from personal white farmers. The 2024 South Africa Expropriation Act, which was passed into law in the first half of this year, permits land seizures without compensation for public use in certain situations, such as when the property is not the manager’s main source of income.
However, the nation’s top officials insist that there haven’t been any recent acquisitions that have resulted in payment. They point to the 2017 Land Audit Report, which stated that white South Africans held 72 % of the country’s agricultural investments as the driving force behind the existing focus.
The Expropriation Act, in the opinion of a State Department director, immediately caused Trump to halt aid to South Africa as a result of the nation’s “unjust property expropriation law, as well as its growing partnership with nations like Russia and Iran.” A major review of U.S. and South Africa plan is currently being conducted, according to the statement.
The director said the President has stated that the United States will promote humanitarian assistance, including consideration of registration for registration and settlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, for victims of wrong racial discrimination against disfavored racial minority People in South Africa.
Trump’s location on the Expropriation Act was misunderstood, according to Chrispin Phiri of the Office of the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation for the Republic of South Africa.
” It is … an inaccurate historical accounts of South Africa”, Phiri said. There hasn’t been a single instance of property confiscation or arrest sanctioned by the state in post-apartheid South Africa. The most recent legislation passed by our legislature is comparable to or similar to the US’s eminent domain act.
As for South Africa’s G20, Phiri insisted the conference’s focus remains in keeping with the same conferences held in Indonesia ( 2022 ), India ( 2023 ), Brazil ( 2023 ) and Italy ( 2021 ).
” One area in which we seek to develop speed is the U. N. Sustainable Development Agenda, which requires that we develop a paradigm shift to accelerate the deployment of practical]climate ] remedies”, he added. ” Under our concept of ‘ Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,’ we did improve three process causes: Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialization, Employment and Reduced Inequality, Food Security, and Artificial Intelligence, Data Governance and Innovation for Sustainable Development”.
In light of this, Phiri claimed that the Trump administration had abandoned the issues South Africa and the US share.
” We share a value on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, but we do not believe the recent chasm is based on these values”, he said. ” Our long-standing nonalignment on foreign policy … has been consistent. Regardless of the actors involved, our steadfast commitment to a geopolitical system grounded in the consistent application of international law should be a common rallying cry.
Some analysts believe that Elon Musk, the current unofficial DOGE chief, is directly responsible for Trump’s aggression toward South Africa because the South African native has a vehement opposition to the country’s government. However, Daniel Silke, director of the Cape Town-based Political Futures Consulting, reminded followers of the current drama that there’s a long history of tension between the U. S. and South African governments— including during the Biden administration.
” Even during the Biden administration, we saw issues relating to South Africa’s relatively close relationship with Moscow”, Silke said. The African National Congress has never, in my opinion, welcomed the United States. There are old grievances about the United States and the West not assisting the liberation movements in the same way that China and the Soviet Union did during that time.
Silke credited some of the current tensions to South Africa’s active membership in BRICS, a partnership of emerging economies including China, Egypt, India, Iran, and Russia.
” ]BRICS] led historically to a closer relationship between South Africa, China, and Moscow”, he said,” When you put them all of that together, it’s a bit of a recipe — , the ingredients for tension”.
Regarding the land grab accusations, Silke and Phiri both agreed that South Africa has no current instances of such seizures.
Why shouldn’t [South African officials ] be concerned about adhering to the various laws in our constitution that protect private property and, in turn, stop land grabs? Silke asked. Our constitution makes it extremely difficult for land grabs to occur.
Despite this, Silke added that some of the current uproar was self-inflicted because he believes South Africa’s land reform program is run poorly.
” State and local has been very poorly distributed, not to mention the handling of provision of finance to farmers”, he said. There are opportunities for improvement.
Despite these flaws, Silke explained that current laws do guarantee the government for private lands that are acquired for public use. To make that clear to the Trump administration, Silke hopes for future direct engagement between governments.
” I think there’s an excellent case to be made for a multiparty delegation to Washington”, he said. ” But again, the future is the future, and the likelihood or the success of that cannot be guaranteed”.
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Phiri suggested that the South African government will approach other entities in the American government now that Rubio has omitted from direct contact with South African representatives.
He explained that “our embassy in the United States has… especially intensified its efforts in anticipation of possible action” following President Trump’s initial post regarding SA’s land reform. ” We have been working with business and think tanks on both sides of the aisle to address the primary problem with our land use and other positions,” according to the statement from the group” We have been engaging both sides of the aisle in Congress and the Senate.”
John Scott Lewinski, MFA, is a writer based in Milwaukee.
