South Africa’s Ramaphosa denies Trump’s land confiscation allegation

VANGUARD

President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected Monday assertions by Donald Trump that South Africa was “confiscating” land and said he was ready to explain his government’s land reform policy to his US counterpart.

Trump’s comments appeared to be referring to a land expropriation act signed by Ramaphosa last month which stipulates the government may, in certain circumstances, offer “nil compensation” for property it decides to seize in the public interest.

Land ownership is a contentious issue in South Africa, with most farmland still owned by white people three decades after the end of apartheid.

Efforts to redress the inequality have drawn criticism from conservatives, including South Africa-born Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, who is a powerful Trump adviser.

“The South African government has not confiscated any land,” Ramaphosa said in a statement after Trump’s claim in which he also accused the government of “treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY” and threatened to cut funding to the country.

The government says the bill does not allow authorities to expropriate property arbitrarily and must first seek to reach agreement with the owner.

“The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument,” Ramaphosa’s statement said.