South Africa dismiss Donald Trumps claim, reveals no land confiscated

President Cyril Ramaphosa firmly rejected claims by US President, Donald Trump, who accused South Africa of “confiscating” land, following the recent signing of a land expropriation law.

Ramaphosa expressed his willingness to engage in a discussion with Trump to clarify the details of his government’s land reform policy.

Trump’s remarks were directed at a controversial land expropriation bill, passed last month, which allows the South African government to potentially seize land with “nil compensation” in certain circumstances, all in the interest of public welfare.

The law aims to address the historic imbalance in land ownership, with the majority of farmland still controlled by white individuals, decades after the end of apartheid.

In reaction to Trump’s remarks, which included accusations that South Africa was “treating certain classes of people very badly” and threats to cut funding, President Ramaphosa issued a statement rejecting the claim, stating, “The South African government has not confiscated any land.

“I don’t know what Donald Trump has to do with South African land. South Africa does not belong to Donald Trump. He must leave us alone. Stay out of our issues.”

The government also reiterated that the new land reform law does not permit arbitrary expropriation. Authorities must first engage with landowners in an attempt to reach a fair agreement before any land is seized, ensuring a process rooted in fairness and due diligence.

“The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument,” Ramaphosa’s statement said.

“It is a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution.

“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.”

Ramaphosa’s statement stated that with the exception of aid from the PEPFAR anti-HIV/Aids initiative, which makes up 17 percent of South Africa’s HIV/Aids programme, “there is no other significant funding that is provided by the United States in South Africa”.

“The US remains a key strategic political and trade partner for South Africa,” he added. [CONTINUE READING HERE]>>>>>