US Freezes Aid to South Africa Over Land Seizure Laws

Washington D.C., USA - The United States on Friday imposed a freeze on foreign aid to South Africa, citing a law in the country that President Donald Trump alleged allows land to be seized from white farmers without compensation.

In an executive order, Trump stated that the South African government's failure to amend this law would "enable ethnic minority Afrikaners' agricultural property to be seized without compensation." He also mentioned foreign policy clashes between the two countries over the Middle East.

Land ownership is a contentious issue in South Africa, with most farmland still owned by white people three decades after the end of apartheid. The government has been under pressure to implement reforms as it seeks to address historical inequalities.

Trump insisted that the US would "promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination." This comes amidst a recent controversy in which Trump claimed South Africa was confiscating land via the expropriation act signed last month, a charge that the South African government has described as misinformation.

Elon Musk, born in South Africa and a close ally of President Trump, had previously accused President Cyril Ramaphosa's government of having "openly racist ownership laws." The implementation of Musk's Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa has reportedly been delayed by a policy that requires major companies to provide 30 percent equity to historically disadvantaged groups.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also announced that he will skip upcoming G20 talks in South Africa, citing concerns over the host government's perceived anti-American agenda.

The freeze on US aid to South Africa has caused concern among analysts and politicians, who argue that such measures can harm economic cooperation between the two countries.