President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he is suspending all U.S. aid to South Africa after the latter passed a law on land expropriation, which many fear could lead to Zimbabwe-style seizures of land owned by white citizens.
The president made the surprise announcement on Truth Social, his own social media platform, on Sunday evening:
South Africa received $273 million from the U.S. in 2023, according to ForeignAssistance.gov. (Reuters puts the sum at $440 million.) That includes funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). South Africa also has key trade deals with the U.S.
The issue of expropriation has been simmering for decades in South Africa, given the unequal distribution of land, most of which is owned by the white minority as a result of colonialism and apartheid. But until now, South Africa has been reluctant to follow the example of Zimbabwe, which seized land from white farmers in 2000 and plunged the country into starvation, as few black farmers were successful and many farms were stolen by the ruling party.
South Africa, like the United States, already allows the government to seize land under an authority similar to eminent domain, though the preference is for a “willing buyer, willing seller” transaction at fair market prices.