WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump took decisive action on Friday by signing an executive order that puts a halt to U.S. assistance to South Africa, reinforcing his earlier statements regarding a law aimed at addressing historical injustices from the apartheid era. The administration argues that this law discriminates against the white minority in the country.
The White House explained that as long as South Africa endorses detrimental actions globally and permits violent assaults on vulnerable minority farmers, the United States will cease its support and aid to the nation. Additionally, Trump plans to introduce a program dedicated to resettling white South African farmers and their families as refugees.
This executive move comes in direct response to a newly enacted law in South Africa that empowers the government to expropriate land under certain conditions. The administration claims that this law is explicitly discriminatory against ethnic minority Afrikaners, framing it as an unjust measure.
The Expropriation Act, which was recently signed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, permits the government to seize land in situations where it is not being actively utilized or where redistribution serves the greater public good. This act is intended to rectify injustices stemming from the country’s apartheid policies, during which black citizens were forcibly stripped of their land and confined to designated areas.
Elon Musk, known for his close ties to Trump and his role in the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, has used social media to spotlight this law, portraying it as a significant threat to the white minority in South Africa.
Moreover, the executive order alludes to South Africa’s involvement in bringing accusations of genocide against Israel to the International Court of Justice, further complicating diplomatic relations. The suspension of aid to South Africa is part of a wider trend of reduced foreign assistance under Trump’s administration, reflecting his commitment to an “America First” foreign policy approach.
