Johannesburg, South Africa – US President Donald Trump threatened this week to cut all funding to South Africa about what he claims to be illegal to land by the authorities in Pretoria.

Trump confirmation It is based on the legend that white South Africa are the targets of illegal land confiscation, something that the government of South Africa strongly denied.

“South Africa is the confiscation of the Earth, and certain groups of people are treated very badly,” Trump wrote on a reality site on Sunday. “The United States will not defend it, and we will act. Also, I will cut all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation is completed in this position!”

In response, South African President Cyril Ramavusa quickly denied any of the land attacks that were persuaded by the government, saying X: “The South African government has not confiscated any land.”

Last month, South Africa adopted the confiscation law, a law that helps the state to restore the lands that enjoy the public interest, with the approval, to address the differences in the ownership that caused contracts of racist dismissal rule.

Ramavusa defended the law, explaining that he is working to facilitate the arrival of the public to the ground instead of as a “confiscation tool”.

“South Africa, like the United States of America and other countries, had laws confiscating a balance between the need for general use of land and the protection of the rights of real estate owners,” Ramavusa said in a statement after Trump’s comments.

South Africa is a constitutional democracy deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality. The South African government did not confiscate any land.

The recently adopted confiscation law is not a confiscation tool, but rather a constitutional commissioner …

Cyrilramaphosa February 3, 2025

Amid the discussion, the billionaire born in South Africa and Trump advisor, Elon Musk, also weighed, accusing Ramavusa’s government “publicly ownership laws publicly” while South African Mineral Resources Minister said if Trump cut funding, South Africa must consider Hold the metal exports To the United States.

So, beyond the land policy in South Africa, are some groups really targeted in the country, and why Trump has now made these comments? This is what to know:

What is land confiscation, and why it happens?

The Law of confiscation was signed in Ramavusa in January. It will make it easier for the state to confiscate some lands with the aim of addressing racist variations in ownership after the apartheid in 1994.

The South African government says the law does not allow it to issue property arbitrarily, and that the landowner must reach an agreement.

The government asserts that the law enables a “constitutional commission” legal process “and that it allows yellow without compensation in the circumstances that are considered” fair, fair and in the public interest. “

Commenting on the implementation of the confiscation law, the TEMBEKA NGCUKAITOBI Land Expert and Timeka Ngcukaitobi said it is a legislative process aimed at simplifying land access for the public interest.

He said: “The hysteria about the confiscation law is harmful,” stressing that the law does not allow the seizure of lands as it is alleged.

NGCUAITOBI explained that the law allows “compensation for nothing” for lands that are necessary for the public interest, which may include unused property or risk of the public.

“The harm was distortion, as if [to say] He said that confiscation has never happened and what the African National Congress Party wanted is to seize the Zimbabwe land, and this is not clearly the case, “referring to the Ramavusa Party, the African National Congress.

Does the government South Africa target whites unfairly?

Trump’s comments on Sunday that South Africa was “dealing with some groups of people” very badly without providing any evidence. His words returned to his first administration when he returned uninterrupted allegations that there were there “Wide killings” From South African egg farmers, they happen; At that time, Pretoria said Trump had disturbed.

Afriforum, a right -wing reaction group that represents the interests of the Egg -speaking eggs from South Africa, put pressure on Trump and the American Congress, claiming that property rights are threatened after the approval of the confiscation law.

For years before that, the group has been constantly sought to obtain right support in the United States, enhancing the narration that white landowners face unfair ethnic laws that can lead to property confiscation and that there is a large -scale campaign and political motives against white farmers.

This also feeds on myths that appear on social media in recent years that there is a “white genocide” that occurs in South Africa – allegations that were over and over again. refute.

Researchers and academics have exposed allegations that agricultural attacks and theft of political motivation, instead, are part of the wider violent crimes issue in South Africa, and it is one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

“It is clear that” South Africa faces a problem with violent crime, “criminal professor Rudolph Zain stressed, noting that violent incidents are not limited to white -owned farms.

In light of Trump’s comments this week, Afriforum announced plans to pressure the US government for sanctions against the POS, stressing that South African residents should not bear the consequences of Trump’s statements. However, many argue that the spread of Afrifor for wrong information in this case is partially responsible for the framing of the narration that Trump now believes.

What is the date of land disposal in South Africa?

The disposal of people from their lands – especially the black population and the indigenous population – was an essential feature in the history of South Africa, deeply intertwined with the brutal apartheid system in the country and previous years of colonialism.

Axis Act, the Native Law of 1913, South Africa restricts the purchase or rental of lands in the designated “White South Africa”, which led to the forced removal of the indigenous population.

According to the Freedom Charter, the cornerstone document that was made during the anti -individual conflict and the basis for the current constitution, it must “belong to all those who live in it.” But after 30 years of the end of the apartheid, inequality in the land is still blatant, as the black population is still Worse off.

The South African government has stumbled with land ownership issues since the emergence of democracy in 1994, as lands reform discussions are increasingly relevant in political discourse.

South Africa eggs make up a little more than 7 percent of the population, according to the last census. But they own more than 70 percent of all agricultural lands owned by private ownership in the country, according to government data from 2017.

Experts say that the continuous variations in land ownership, which are still largely deviant in favor of the minority, have brought the need for reform and contentment.

This context has long been complicated by Trump’s narration and supporters, as it reflects a continuous struggle to distribute more fair to land among the diverse population of South Africa.

Why is the policy of South Africa the Trump issue now?

Political analyst Onga Makka said that Trump’s comments could have been driven by wrong information, but it was also part of the broader foreign policy agenda.

“Trump is either unaware, but he fully realizes what it means, but he is manipulating feelings to make the African National Congress party fall into a queue as much as foreign policy options. It is part of Trump’s forcible strategy of foreign policy.”

Trump’s threat to reduce aid to South Africa comes as sanctions against countries such as Canada and Mexico and the suspension of funding for the US Agency for International Development for the next three months.

Mtimka said that South Africa’s position on controlling Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) due to the genocide in Gaza may stimulate Trump’s position. “Certainly it has to do with it,” he said.

This is not the first time that Trump has raised the issue of alleged attacks on white South Africa. When he was president in 2018, Ali Twitter said that he had directed the Foreign Minister at the time, Mike Bombo, to consider “land and farm attacks” and “widespread murder for farmers” in South Africa.

Mtimka said he will not be surprised if Trump’s comments were affected by his close adviser, Musk, who has long criticized the policies of the transformation of the South African government.

In 2023, Musk accused the Ramavusa government of allowing “genocide” of the occurrence of white farmers.

After Trump’s new comments, Musk added to the matter on monday By answering a post by Ramavusa’s official account on X with the question: “Why do you publicly have racist royal laws?”

Since then, the Ramavusa office announced that the husband had had conversation “About misinformation and distortions” about South Africa.

“In this process, the President of the Constitutional of South Africa repeated the integrated values ​​to respect the rule of law, justice, fairness and equality,” the South African Presidency said.

What does Trump’s comments mean for relations between South Africa?

The South African government said it was keen to involve the United States with the United States on the country’s land reform policy and that the country is committed to its constitutional democracy.

Ramavusa also indicated that he would associate Trump.

He said: “We are sure that these links will participate, as this is better and common to these things.”

While Ramavusa pursued a measure of the Trump’s threat, South Africa Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum Guidi’s reply It was more pointed.

He spoke at a mining conference on Monday, suggested that South Africa should consider blocking its metal exports to the United States if the financing occurred. This is important, as South Africa exports a variety of minerals to the United States, including platinum, iron and manganese.

According to a Reuters report, South Africa received about $ 440 million of aid from the United States in 2023. However, South Africa has reduced the consequences of Trump’s attempt to reduce aid, saying that the United States does not provide any other important financing alongside the US President’s emergency plan In favor of AIDS AIDS (Pepfar), which Ramavusa does not make up only 17 percent of South Africa’s anti -HIV/AIDS programs.

Mtimka said that although South Africa should not tolerate the lack of respect, it does not believe that it does not need the United States because it is the second largest export partner in South Africa. He said: “Stugrant extremism will not do much.”

South Africa takes advantage of the African Growth and Opportunities Law, which allows the arrival of customs duties to the United States market for a large part of South African commodities. It is scheduled to end in September 2025.

On Monday, in the wake of Trump’s threat, all shares, shares and governmental links in South Africa fell, as the comments caused the investor to be uncomfortable with regard to the diplomatic and economic relations of the two countries.