Johannesburg (TDI): South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that he looked forward to engaging with Donald Trump after the U.S. president said he would suspend funding for South Africa, citing land confiscations.
Trump said on Sunday that “South Africa is confiscating land” and “certain classes of people” were being treated “very badly” so he would suspend funding until the matter was investigated.
Ramaphosa signed into law a bill in January to make it easier for the state to expropriate land in the public interest, despite objections by some parties in his coalition government.
“We look forward to engaging with the Trump government over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better understanding over these issues,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.
Also Read: South Africa Moves Taiwan Office Gets Chinese Praise
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy that respect rule of law, justice and equality. The South African administration has not confiscated any land.”
The legislation aims to address racial disparities in land ownership that persist three decades after apartheid’s end in 1994.
Also Read: China, South Africa Agree to Elevate Ties
“The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation tool, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution,” Rampahosa added on Monday.
