South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke with Elon Musk, a close advisor to US President Donald Trump, to address concerns over South Africa’s new land expropriation law. The conversation followed criticism from Trump, who threatened to cut funding to South Africa over the legislation.
On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social: “I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” He later told journalists that South Africa’s “leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things,” adding, “So that’s under investigation right now. We’ll make a determination, and until such time as we find out what South Africa is doing — they’re taking away land and confiscating land, and actuallythey’re doing things that are perhaps far worse than that.”
Musk also weighed in on the issue on X, questioning Ramaphosa about “openly racist ownership laws.”
In response to Trump’s initial comments, Ramaphosa stated that his “government has not confiscated any land.” Following the conversation with Musk, Ramaphosa’s office said the president “reiterated South Africa’s constitutionally embedded values of the respect for the rule of law, justice, fairness and equality”.
The recently enacted law allows for land expropriation without compensation in specific circumstances deemed “just and equitable and in the public interest.” These include situations where property is unused with no intent for development or profit, or when it poses a risk to people.
Land ownership remains a highly contentious issue in South Africa. Thirty years after the end of apartheid, most private farmland is still owned by white South Africans. The 1913 Natives Land Act, enacted during British colonial rule, restricted land ownership for the black majority, laying the groundwork for forced removals that continued for decades. This historical injustice fuels ongoing calls for land reform.
While the “willing seller, willing buyer” principle has guided previous land reform efforts, some argue it has hindered progress. A 2017 government report indicated that 72% of privately held farmland was white-owned, while the 2022 census shows white people comprise 7.3% of the population.
Critics of the new law express concerns about potential economic repercussions, citing the example of Zimbabwe where land seizures negatively impacted the economy and investor confidence.
