“SOUTH Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY …”
“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed,” US President Donald Trump, was quoted during media interaction this past weekend on Fox News.
His words did not sit well with many in the country, and asking why should we depend on US for funding, etc.
Trump, in a Fox News interview shared online, was asked if he was planning to cut aid to different African nations.
Trump responded: “No. It’s only South Africa, terrible things are happening in South Africa… They are taking away land, they are confiscating land and actually they are doing things that are perhaps far worse than that”.>On his Truth Social app, Trump also wrote that “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY …”
In response Pretoria said, the Presidency looks forward to engaging with the Trump administration over South Africa’s land reform policy so that a better and common understanding will be shared on the matter.
The Presidency on Monday said the recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the Constitution.
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy that is deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality. The South African Government has not confiscated any land,” the Presidency said.
In 2018 Trump spoke out on South African land issues, criticizing South Africa’s land reform policies, expressing concerns over alleged land seizures and the “large-scale killing” of farmers.
Levy Ndou- political commentator says Trump’s words set a precedent that US ‘still want to control SA’, and secondly influence some policies.
Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is set to meet with Trump’s administration on the health funding issue.
It seems lately SA has been taking heats, firstly Rwandan Pres Paul Kagame issuing a threat following the deaths of 14 SANDF in DRC, and now the US.
