Trump Cuts Aid To SA Over Land Policy And ICJ Case Against Israel, Afrikaners Get Refugee Status

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to halt US financial assistance to South Africa, the White House confirmed on Friday. The move comes as a response to the country’s land expropriation policy and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

According to US government data, South Africa received nearly $440 million in US assistance in 2023. This funding is now under threat as diplomatic tensions escalate between Washington and Pretoria.

Resettlement Plan for Afrikaner Farmers

The White House also announced plans to resettle Afrikaner South African farmers and their families as refugees in the United States. Afrikaners, descendants of early Dutch and French settlers, will be prioritised for humanitarian relief and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program.

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Trump, without providing evidence, has previously stated that “South Africa is confiscating land” and that “certain classes of people” are being treated “very badly.”

Billionaire Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa and is known to be close to Trump, has similarly claimed that white South Africans are victims of “racist ownership laws.”

Ramaphosa Defends Land Expropriation Policy

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed into law a bill that aims to facilitate land expropriation in the public interest.

However, he has rejected claims of land confiscation, asserting that the policy is meant to correct racial disparities in land ownership. “South Africa will not be bullied,” Ramaphosa said in response to Washington’s actions.

US Criticism Over South Africa’s ICJ Case Against Israel

Another factor behind Trump’s decision is South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel, where Pretoria has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. The White House cited this as an example of South Africa opposing Washington and its allies.

Israel has strongly denied the genocide allegations, insisting that its military actions in Gaza are self-defense following Hamas’ deadly October 7, 2023, attack.

The land ownership debate remains highly charged in South Africa, a country still dealing with the legacy of apartheid-era dispossession.

As of the latest 2017 land audit, white landowners still control three-quarters of South Africa’s freehold farmland, while Black South Africans, who make up 80% of the population, own only 4%.

With Trump’s executive order now in place, tensions between Washington and Pretoria are expected to rise as both countries stand firm on their positions.

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