WASHINGTON, Feb 7 – President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to cut U.S. financial assistance to South Africa, citing opposition to its land reform policies and its legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the White House announced on Friday.
The United States allocated nearly $440 million in aid to South Africa in 2023, according to government data. The directive will reduce this funding and establish a plan to resettle white South African farmers and their families in the United States as refugees.
The White House said U.S. officials would prioritize humanitarian relief, including refugee status for Afrikaners, the predominantly white descendants of early Dutch and French settlers, under the United States Refugee Admissions Program.
Trump has accused the South African government of “confiscating land” and treating “certain classes of people” unfairly, though he has not provided evidence. His stance aligns with South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, who claims white South Africans face “racist ownership laws.”
Tensions have grown over South Africa’s recent land reform law. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a bill last month allowing land expropriation in the public interest. He has defended the policy, stating no land has been seized and that it aims to address historical racial disparities in ownership. Ramaphosa rejected Trump’s remarks, saying South Africa “will not be bullied.”
The White House also cited South Africa’s case at the ICJ against Israel as a factor in the funding cut. South Africa has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, where military actions have caused mass casualties and a humanitarian crisis. Israel denies the allegations, asserting it acted in self-defense following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.
