US President Donald Trump was always expected to pay back with the same coin, any of America’s perceived saboteurs. But South Africa, in spite of being in the corner of Russia for long, had tried to maintain positive ratings in Washington.
That was until Sunday this week when Trump threatened to cut funding for programmes in South Africa, alleging that Pretoria’s land policies were discriminatory.
Since then, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola have tried to swat away the threat, mostly by showing defiance, but also by trying to explain the American leader had misunderstood Pretoria.
Trump claimed that the country's new land expropriation laws have caused "massive" human rights violations.
Without providing any evidence, the US President claimed that South Africa is "confiscating land" and that "certain classes of people" are being treated "very badly."
He also stated that the USA "won't stand for it" and will "cut off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed."
President Trump did not specify who was being "treated badly," but his comments seem to refer to white landowners, who still own three-quarters of South Africa's freehold farmland.
It is not the first time Trump has raised the issue. Back in his first term, he spoke of violations in South Africa, eliciting a response from Ramaphosa.
“I don’t know what Donald Trump has to do with South African land, because he has never been here. He must keep his America, we will keep our South Africa,” Ramaphosa said back in 2020, amid reported rise in killings of white farmers.
This time, Trump’s criticism has got a new voice too, that of Elon Musk. Musk, the American billionaire and owner of social media platform X, was actually born in South Africa.
In 2023, Musk had responded on X to a video from a far-left South African political party singing an old anti-apartheid song, "Kill the Boer (farmer)," by asserting, "They are openly pushing for genocide of white people in South Africa."
On Monday, Ramaphosa said he leads a constitutional democracy that is “deeply rooted in the rule of law.” “The South African government has not confiscated any land,” he added.
Musk argued South Africa has “openly racist ownership laws.”
The land debate is an old one in South Africa, rooted in apartheid era, which ended in 1994. According to the latest land audit, only 4 percent of land is owned by Black people, who make up 80 percent of the population, compared to about 8 percent for whites.
To address this imbalance, President Ramaphosa signed a law in January allowing the state to expropriate land "in the public interest," in some cases without compensating the owner, despite objections from his coalition partner, the dominantly white-led Democratic Alliance.
Critics, including President Trump, argue that the Expropriation Act discriminates against white landowners and threatens property rights.
In response to the US leader’s accusations, President Ramaphosa and Minister Lamola stood firm.
"We trust that President Trump's advisors will use this investigative period to gain a deeper understanding of South Africa's policies as a constitutional democracy. Such insights will ensure a respectful and informed approach to our democratic commitments," wrote Lamola on X.
Ramaphosa was more conciliatory this time, saying, “The US is a crucial strategic and trade partner for South Africa," downplaying the potential impact of the funding threats.
“With the exception of Pepfar Aid, which constitutes 17 percent of South Africa’s HIV/Aids programme, there is no other significant funding received by South Africa from the United States.”
The relationship, however, is rocked on reasons beyond land. South Africa has been a close ally of Russia for decades, having backed the African National Congress (ANC) led by Nelson Mandela to defeat apartheid.
Then the war in Gaza came and Pretoria took a legalistic position against Israel, suing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. Both stances miffed Washington during the Joe Biden administration. It is something Donald Trump has taken on too.
In June 2024, the US House passed a defence policy bill with an amendment calling for a review of South Africa’s national security risks.
This proposal now awaits approval from the Senate and the White House, and if passed, it could complicate trade relations and impact South Africa's exports.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) provides South Africa with preferential access to the USA markets, allowing its products to enter duty-free and benefiting local producers.
However, as the Agoa is set to expire in 2025, uncertainties remain regarding its future, and the South African coalition government is keenly aware of the need to maintain favourable trade ties with the USA, the country’s largest trading partner after China.
Key Republicans are urging the incoming Trump administration to remove South Africa from its advantageous trade arrangements, according to a report by Fox News.
Senator Jim Risch of Idaho expressed concern about South Africa’s efforts to strengthen ties with Russia, China, and Iran. He noted that these actions violate the eligibility requirements for the Agoa, which stipulate that a country must not engage in activities jeopardising USA national security.
Specifically, to qualify for Agoa, a nation cannot "act in a manner that undermines USA national security or foreign policy interests."
Given South Africa's close relationships with Iran, Russia, and China, as well as its actions against Israel, there are growing doubts about the country's compliance with these guidelines. Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, raised concerns.
“South Africa has harboured sanctioned Russian ships, expanded its relations with Iran, and issued statements against Israel’s right to defend itself following Hamas’ recent terror attack,” he stated. Scott expressed his eagerness to collaborate with the Trump administration to ensure that Agoa participants uphold US national security interests.
During Joe Biden administration, Washington’s envoy to Pretoria Reuben Brigety, raised allegations that President Ramaphosa's government supplied arms to Russia during the Ukraine conflict.
His claims led to a significant decline in the value of the rand and damaged South Africa's reputation with Western trade partners. Despite denials from both South Africa and Russia, Brigety maintained his accusations, resulting in a strained relationship with the ANC. Brigety resigned as soon as Trump won the elections.
But his assertions helped pile a set of challenges on Pretoria to work up its relations with Washington. It is unlikely Ramaphosa will go toe-to-toe with Trump this time.
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