Trump Freezes South Africa Aid Over Controversial Land Reform Law
President Donald Trump has suspended U.S. aid to South Africa following the passage of a land expropriation law, deepening tensions between Washington and Pretoria. The executive order, signed Friday, condemned the legislation as showing "shocking disregard" for citizens' rights by enabling land seizures from ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation. Trump's order criticized what he called "countless" policies undermining equal opportunity and "hateful rhetoric" encouraging violence against "racially disfavored" landowners. He also cited South Africa's recent foreign policy positions, including its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and strengthened ties with Iran, as reasons for the aid freeze. The order outlined plans to support the resettlement of Afrikaners "escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination." This follows escalating tensions between Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, with Trump accusing the administration of "confiscating land" and discriminating against "certain classes […]