Trump Plans to Cut Funding for South Africa Over Treatment Allegations
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he intends to cut off funding for South Africa due to alleged mistreatment of certain groups. He stated, "South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY," claiming that the United States would not tolerate such actions and would act accordingly.
Trump's comments came through a post on Truth Social, where he expressed that all future funding to South Africa would be halted until a thorough investigation into the matter is conducted. The specifics leading to Trump's remarks were not provided.
The South African embassy in Washington D.C. did not respond to inquiries after regular business hours. The U.S. had previously allocated nearly $440 million in assistance to South Africa in 2023.
Currently, South Africa holds the G20 presidency, with the U.S. set to take over afterwards. In a previous statement, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed confidence in his country's relationship with Trump, noting a conversation he had with the former president after his election victory.
In Trump's prior administration, he indicated an intention to investigate unverified claims of large-scale killings of white farmers in South Africa and the violent appropriation of land, which Pretoria rejected as misinformation. It is unknown if any investigations were pursued by the Trump administration.
Notably, Trump's ally Elon Musk, born in South Africa, had previously criticized a South African political party for allegedly promoting violence against white individuals, calling for proactive measures from Ramaphosa.
