In response to South Africa’s new land expropriation law, Donald Trump issued a decree halting U.S. aid to the country and allowing asylum for persecuted Boers. The law is aimed at addressing historical injustices but has sparked claims of discrimination against the white minority, fueled by narratives of “white genocide.” Tensions between the U.S. and South Africa are rising, with diplomatic repercussions and concerns over the potential impact on trade relations amid geopolitical shifts.
In the early days of his presidency, Donald Trump made headlines with a surprising regulation focused on Africa, a region he had seldom engaged with. This directive specifically addresses an ethnic minority allegedly facing persecution.
On February 7, Trump issued a decree titled “Measures Against the Disgraceful Actions of the Republic of South Africa,” asserting that South Africa has enacted a new law aimed at expropriating the Boers. He claims this move shows a shocking disregard for the rights of citizens. The Boers, descendants of the first white settlers in South Africa who primarily arrived from the Netherlands in the 17th century, constitute about 5 percent of the South African population, with many still holding significant land ownership.
As part of this decree, Trump mandated the cessation of all U.S. aid to South Africa, totaling approximately $450 million annually, primarily supporting the health sector, including the world’s largest anti-AIDS initiative. Additionally, he declared that Boers suffering from racial discrimination should be eligible for asylum in the United States.
High-profile Murders of White Farmers
Trump’s backing of white South Africans appears to have been spurred by the South African government’s introduction of the “Expropriation Act” in January. This legislation enables the state to confiscate land without compensation under specific circumstances deemed to serve the public interest, replacing a law from the apartheid era. The South African government argues that this new law aligns with similar provisions in Western nations that facilitated infrastructure development.
However, land ownership remains a deeply emotional matter in South Africa. During apartheid, millions of black South Africans were dispossessed, leading to significant disparities. Today, while white South Africans account for 7 percent of the population, they control over 70 percent of the land, whereas black South Africans, making up 80 percent of the populace, own a mere 4 percent.
Since 1994, large-scale land expropriations have been virtually nonexistent in South Africa, unlike in neighboring Zimbabwe. White landowners who relinquished land received market-rate compensation, which has frustrated leftist political factions in the country.
Nevertheless, some voices in South Africa assert that the white minority is being discriminated against or even persecuted. The most extreme narrative posits a “white genocide,” supported by high-profile murders of white farmers as evidence. While white South Africans do experience homicide at disproportionate rates, the most at-risk demographic remains young black men. Out of more than 20,000 murders annually, approximately 50 white farmers have recently been victims.
This narrative of “white genocide” is predominantly propagated by far-right Boer organizations, serving as a vehement opposition to any form of historical reparations in South Africa and gaining traction internationally among ideologically aligned groups.
Musk’s Support for the Genocide Narrative
The claims of persecution have seemingly reached the White House, prompting inquiries into whether tech billionaire Elon Musk, who attended school in Pretoria during apartheid and lived in South Africa until he was 18, influenced Trump’s decisions. Although Musk is not a Boer and hails from a wealthy British-Canadian family, he has expressed support for the “white genocide” narrative in recent years.
While it remains uncertain if Musk directly impacted Trump’s decree, his engagement on social media platforms, including addressing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, suggests involvement. Musk questioned the legitimacy of South Africa’s property laws, echoing previous messages that claimed a push for genocide against whites.
In 2024, Musk’s discontent with the South African government intensified due to business-related issues, particularly after failing to secure approval for his Starlink satellite service, which requires black South African investors as per local laws.
Trump’s Awareness of Expropriation Issues
Looking into the context of Trump’s decree, it’s important to note that this is not the first time he has addressed the plight of South Africa’s white minority. Back in 2018, during his first term, he tweeted about the alleged large-scale expropriation and murder of white farmers, referencing a Fox News report featuring a Boer lobbyist who promoted the genocide thesis. At that time, he instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to investigate the claims, yet no significant actions followed.
Currently, tensions are escalating. In response to Trump’s decree, President Ramaphosa stated, “We South Africans are a resilient people; we will not be intimidated.” However, the South African government is clearly concerned, as evidenced by Ramaphosa’s personal outreach to Musk and plans to send negotiators to Washington. South Africa fears that the suspension of aid payments may be just the beginning of further punitive measures from the U.S., especially given that the U.S. is the country’s second-largest trading partner and South Africa is part of the “African Growth and Opportunity Act,” which offers some African nations duty-free access to the U.S. market, set for renewal this year.
Compounding these diplomatic challenges, South Africa has increasingly charted an independent course among global geopolitical blocs, evidenced by recent naval exercises with China and Russia in 2023. In December, South Africa even took legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide against Palestinians. There are also discussions about potential cooperation with Iran on nuclear technology.
In light of the decree, Washington has seemingly adopted a colder stance towards South Africa. As G-20 foreign ministers meet in Johannesburg, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has canceled his attendance, echoing Trump’s sentiments by stating, “South Africa is doing very terrible things,” alleging private property expropriation and deeming a visit a waste of taxpayer funds.