South Africa Defends Land Law After US Criticism.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called Elon Musk to address concerns about the country's new land reform law. This followed threats by US President Donald Trump to cut funding to South Africa.
Trump claimed on Truth Social that South Africa was confiscating land and "treating certain classes of people very badly." Musk, the South African-born tech leader, questioned Ramaphosa on X about "openly racist ownership laws."
Ramaphosa's office said he assured Musk of South Africa's commitment to "the rule of law, justice, fairness and equality." The president denied that any land confiscation had taken place.
The new law permits land seizures without payment under specific conditions. These include unused property with no development plans or land that poses public safety risks.
Land ownership remains a sensitive issue in South Africa. White owners control 72% of private farmland, though they make up just 7.3% of the population. This stems from the 1913 Natives Land Act, which restricted black property rights under British colonial rule.
The apartheid system later forced black citizens into poor homelands and townships. This continued until Nelson Mandela became president in 1994, marking the start of democratic rule.
Previous land reform relied on voluntary sales between willing parties. Critics say this slowed progress in addressing historical injustices. Others fear the new law might harm the economy and deter investors, pointing to Zimbabwe's experience with land seizures.
Trump announced an investigation into South Africa's actions. He told reporters the country's leadership was "doing terrible things, horrible things." The US president pledged to suspend funding until the investigation concludes.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called Elon Musk to address concerns about the country's new land reform law. This followed threats by US President Donald Trump to cut funding to South Africa.
Trump claimed on Truth Social that South Africa was confiscating land and "treating certain classes of people very badly." Musk, the South African-born tech leader, questioned Ramaphosa on X about "openly racist ownership laws."
Ramaphosa's office said he assured Musk of South Africa's commitment to "the rule of law, justice, fairness and equality." The president denied that any land confiscation had taken place.
The new law permits land seizures without payment under specific conditions. These include unused property with no development plans or land that poses public safety risks.
Land ownership remains a sensitive issue in South Africa. White owners control 72% of private farmland, though they make up just 7.3% of the population. This stems from the 1913 Natives Land Act, which restricted black property rights under British colonial rule.
The apartheid system later forced black citizens into poor homelands and townships. This continued until Nelson Mandela became president in 1994, marking the start of democratic rule.
Previous land reform relied on voluntary sales between willing parties. Critics say this slowed progress in addressing historical injustices. Others fear the new law might harm the economy and deter investors, pointing to Zimbabwe's experience with land seizures.
Trump announced an investigation into South Africa's actions. He told reporters the country's leadership was "doing terrible things, horrible things." The US president pledged to suspend funding until the investigation concludes.
