President Trump to cut off funding for South Africa

"South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

By REUTERS FEBRUARY 3, 2025 07:56

(L-R) US President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (photo credit: AMR ALFIKY/ REUTERS, BING GUAN/REUTERS, Canva)

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday, without citing evidence, that "certain classes of people" in South Africa were being treated "very badly" and that he would cut off funding for the country until the matter is investigated.

U.S. President Donald Trump on cutting aid to South Africa: "It's only South Africa, terrible things are happening in South Africa, the leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things... so that's under investigation right now, we're making determinations and until such… pic.twitter.com/CcLXXw6DDG

— Ofentse Donald Davhie (@donalddavhie) February 3, 2025

"South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY," Trump said in a Truth Social post.

"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!" he said.

It is unclear what led to Trump's post.

The South African embassy in Washington DC did not respond to a request for comment outside of regular business hours.

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…

— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 2, 2025

The United States obligated nearly $440 million in assistance to South Africa in 2023, the most recent US government data showed.

South Africa currently holds the G20 presidency, after which the US takes over.

US-South Africa relations

Last month, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was not worried about the country's relationship with Trump. He said he had spoken to Trump after the latter's election victory and looked forward to working with his administration.

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During his first administration, Trump said the US would investigate unproven large-scale killings of white farmers in South Africa and violent takeovers of land. Pretoria, at the time, said Trump was misinformed. It is unclear whether the Trump administration carried out an investigation.

Trump's close ally Elon Musk was born in South Africa. In 2023, Musk replied on X to a video of a far-left South African political party singing an old anti-apartheid song, "Kill the Boer," by stating: "They are openly pushing for the genocide of white people in South Africa."