Expropriation Act: SA government looking forward to engaging Trump administration

3 February 2025 | SANews


The South African government has expressed its eagerness to engage with the administration of US President Donald Trump on matters of bilateral relations and other key issues.

This statement was made following a post by President Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he announced that the US would be halting funding to South Africa while it investigates the country’s newly signed Expropriation Act.

On Sunday evening, President Trump wrote on Truth Social:

South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain groups of people VERY BADLY. It’s a bad situation, and the Radical Left Media is not addressing it. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION is happening for all to see, and the United States will not stand for it. We will act. I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!”

However, the Expropriation Act does not permit arbitrary expropriation or the taking of property for anything other than a public purpose or in the public interest. This Act, which followed a five-year public consultation process, was debated in Parliament and aligns with the South African Constitution. It replaces the Expropriation Act of 1975 and allows for land expropriation in the public interest, as long as fair compensation is provided.

In response, the South African Presidency reaffirmed its commitment to engage with the US on the new law. “The Expropriation Act is not a tool for land confiscation, but a constitutionally required legal procedure designed to ensure equitable access to land, in line with the Constitution. South Africa, like the United States and other countries, has always had expropriation laws that balance public land use with the protection of property rights,” the Presidency said.

The government also emphasized that no land has been confiscated, stressing that South Africa remains a constitutional democracy committed to the rule of law, justice, and equality.

“The US is a critical political and trade partner for South Africa. Other than PEPFAR, which supports 17% of South Africa’s HIV/AIDS program, there is no other significant funding from the United States,” the Presidency concluded.


 

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