The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa has replied President Donald Trump.
Trump had threatened to cut funding to the country over the government’s land policy.
Reacting, Ramaphosa said the land policy should not be of United States interest.
He made this statement in a post on X on Monday, in response to President Donald Trump’s threat to cut funding to the country.
Recall that the US President, Trump, had earlier announced plans to cut off all future funding to South Africa due to poor treatment of “certain classes of people alleged in the country’s Expropriation Act.”
President Trump referred to the recently adopted expropriation act, which allowed the South African government to seize land without compensation.
President Trump said, “The United States won’t stand for it.”
In response, Ramaphosa said the act is a legal process that allows equitable access to land and addresses historical disparities.
According to him, South Africa is a constitutional democracy that is deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice, and equality.
He also clarified that with the exception of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which constitutes 17 percent of South Africa’s HIV/AIDS program, there is no other US-backed funding for South Africa.
He explained that the recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a land confiscation instrument.
“South Africa, like the United States of America and other countries, has always had expropriation laws that balance the need for public usage of land and the protection of rights of property owners.
“We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters”, he stated.
“The US remains a key strategic political and trade partner for South Africa. With the exception of PEPFAR aid, which constitutes 17 percent of South Africa’s HIV/AIDS programme, there is no other funding that is received by South Africa from the United States”, he stated.
