After US President, Donald Trump, accused the South African government of “confiscating land and treating certain class of people very badly”, the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has come out to respond, saying, “the South African government has not confiscated any land”.
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| Cyril Ramaphosa | Donald Trump |
Ramaphosa said, “South Africa is a constitutional democracy that is deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality”, adding, “the recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution”.
The SA President expressed his readiness to engage Trump “over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest”, acknowledging, “the US remains a key strategic political and trade partner for South Africa”.
According to Ramaphosa: “South Africa is a constitutional democracy that is deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality. The South African government has not confiscated any land.
The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution.
South Africa, like the United States of America and other countries, has always had expropriation laws that balance the need for public usage of land and the protection of rights of property owners.
We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters.
The US remains a key strategic political and trade partner for South Africa. With the exception of PEPFAR Aid, which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIVAids programme, there is no other funding that is received by South Africa from the United States.”
