Trump Cuts All US Funding to SA Amid Land Expropriation Fracas, Ramaphosa Hits Back in Sharp Riposte

• US President Donald Trump has asserted cutting all funding to South Africa after the passing of the Expropriation Bill
• President Cyril Ramphosa signed the new Bill into law on Thursday, 23 January 2025, to a polarising reception
• In response to Trump's pronouncement, Ramaphosa fired back, saying the US statesman should keep out of SA's affairs

WASHINGTON DC — Less than a week after cutting HIV treatment funding and then rescinding the decision, Donald Trump has made his latest emphatic declaration targeting the country — and one far more ominous.

The 47th US President's uncompromising sentiments drew an immediate response from SA's first citizen.

Trump moves to cut all aid to SA

What instigated this? Well, it began almost two weeks ago when President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law.

Under the law, the government can acquire a private individual's property in the public interest by following just processes and passing equitable compensation.

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It states that property may not be appropriated arbitrarily or for a reason other than a public purpose, and only if the State has unsuccessfully attempted to reach an agreement with the property owner after making a reasonable offer.

Previously, there were plans to expropriate the land without compensation.

After Ramaphosa signed the Bill on Thursday, 23 January 2025, Western media outlets have described it as a controversial land seizure law.

Responding to the groundbreaking developments on his @TrumpDailyPosts X page, taken from his Truth Social on Sunday, 2 February, Trump said:

"South Africa is confiscating land, and mistreating certain classes. It is a bad situation that the Radical Left media doesn’t want to so much as mention.

"A massive human rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The US won’t stand for it, we will act.

"Also, I will cut off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!"

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In a later TV news interview, a video posted online by a user, @gerrievanzyl, a reporter was heard leading with a statement about the announcement of cutting aid to SA, before asking Trump if he planned to cut aid to other African nations.

He responded:

"No, it's only South Africa; terrible things are happening in South Africa. The leadership is doing some terrible, horrible things. So, that's under investigation right now. We'll make a determination. And until we find what South Africa is doing ... they're taking away land, they're confiscating [it]. And, probably, they're doing things that are perhaps far worse than that!"

Watch the X video below.

Following the massive backlash, a video of Ramaphosa surfaced, in which he slammed Trump, saying he had no business interfering in SA's affairs.

"I don't know what Donald Trump has to do with South African land because he's never been here. And he must keep his America; we'll keep our South Africa. That is what he must do. [This] is our land. It belongs to all the people who live here," said Ramaphosa.

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"It doesn't belong to Donald Trump. He can keep his America ... When I meet him, I will tell him, 'You, Donald Trump, you're even worse because your forebears came to America, they found the indigenous Americans and wiped them out'. We live as a nation and, Black and white, we [will] find a solution for our land question. So, Donald Trump must leave us alone!"

Watch the rest of the X video below.

Ramaphosa toasts Trump on win

In an earlier story, Briefly News reported that Ramaphosa was among the global leaders who congratulated Trump on his US presidential election win on Wednesday, 6 November 2024.

Ramaphosa raised a glass to his counterpart, saying that he looked forward to strengthened ties as South Africa assumes the presidency of the G20 in 2025.

Source: Briefly News