US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he is halting all US funding to South Africa, citing alleged human rights violations against white citizens.
Trump is convinced whites are oppressed in South Africa
Trump made the declaration on his Truth Social platform, stating that his administration has launched an investigation into what he called the country’s mistreatment of “certain classes of people.”
“South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY. It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump wrote.
While the post does not provide details on what prompted the move, the timing follows South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent signing of the Expropriation Bill, a piece of legislation that allows the state to acquire land in the public interest, including for land reform.
Trump’s remarks echo previous claims he made in 2018 when he instructed then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to investigate “large-scale killings” of white South African farmers, a claim that was widely refuted.
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What South Africa funding is affected?
According to reports, the US provided nearly $440 million in foreign aid to South Africa in 2023, funding various health, education, and economic development programs.
The most significant of these is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a $7 billion global initiative that has played a key role in HIV/AIDS treatment in South Africa.
Trump’s executive order halting funding places such programs in jeopardy, though waivers can be issued for initiatives deemed critical to US interests.
Other potential funding cuts could target trade agreements such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides South African goods with preferential access to US markets.
South Africa’s membership in BRICS, its trade ties with Russia and China, and its vocal support for Palestine have all placed it at odds with Trump’s administration, which is aggressively reshaping US foreign policy.
Fact-checking Trump’s claims on white oppression
Trump’s claims about the oppression of white South Africans have been debunked multiple times.
While farm attacks remain a contentious issue in South Africa, no evidence has been presented that white citizens are specifically targeted for political or racial reasons.
The South African government has repeatedly rejected accusations of land seizures, stating that the country’s land reform policies aim to correct historical injustices in a legal and constitutional manner.
The 2018 investigation Trump requested into the alleged killings of white farmers did not yield any conclusive findings supporting claims of genocide or systematic targeting.
South African officials have yet to respond to Trump’s latest statements, but his move has already sparked debate about the future of US-South Africa relations under his administration.
