US President Donald Trump freezes aid to South Africa over land expropriation legislation

In the order signed on Friday, Trump said the law enacted in South Africa showed a "shocking disregard" for citizens' rights and would permit the government to seize land from ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation.

In the order, Trump noted that the passage of the Expropriation Act, signed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in January, followed "countless" policies introduced to dismantle equal opportunity and "hateful rhetoric" and government actions that have caused violence against "racially disfavored" landowners.

Trump said South Africa has taken "aggressive positions" towards the US and its allies, including accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and strengthening ties with Iran, Al Jazeera reported.

In the order, US President said, "The United States cannot support the government of South Africa's commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests."

US President said his administration would promote the resettlement of Afrikaners "escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination." Since Sunday, Trump and Ramaphosa have been engaged in war of words over the law, when Trump accused Ramaphosa of "confiscating land" and mistreating "certain classes of people."

On February 5, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not attend the Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Johannesburg in response to the law and other "very bad things" taking place in South Africa.

Ramaphosa stressed that the legislation is not a "confiscation instrument" but part of a "constitutionally mandated legal process", and insisted that it will ensure people's access to land in an "equitable and just manner," Al Jazeera reported.

In his address to parliament on Thursday, Cyril Rampahosa seemed to take aim at Trump by saying that his country would stand united amid increase in the "pursuit of narrow interests" and "the decline of common cause". He said, "We will not be deterred. We are a resilient people. We will not be bullied."

Under the expropriation law, the South African government may seize land without compensation where it is considered "just and equitable and in the public interest", like cases where it is not being used, and after efforts to reach an agreement with the owner have failed.

South African President and his African National Congress have said the law is important to reduce huge disparities in ownership of land emanating from colonial settlement and the subsequent institution of racial segregation and white-minority rule.

South Africa's largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and a member of the ANC-led national unity government has criticised the law, terming it a threat to property rights and much-needed foreign investment. The DA has also voiced concern over Trump's threats and denied suggestions that the law allows land to be seized "arbitrarily". (ANI)