Trump accuses South Africa of ‘confiscating’ land, cuts funding

US President Donald Trump asserts South Africa is “confiscating” land and “treating certain classes of people very badly” as he announces he was cutting off all future funding to the country pending an investigation.

The land issue in South Africa has long been divisive, with efforts to redress the inequality of white-rule drawing criticism from conservatives including Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, who was born in South Africa and is a powerful Trump adviser.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa last month signed a bill that stipulates the government may, in certain circumstances, offer “nil compensation” for property it decides to expropriate in the public interest.

“South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,” Trump writes on his Truth Social platform.

“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump writes.

Pretoria argues the bill does not allow the government to expropriate property arbitrarily and must first seek to reach agreement with the owner.

However, some groups fear a situation similar to the Zimbabwe government’s seizure of white-owned commercial farms, often without compensation, after independence in 1980.