The United States has imposed sanctions on South Africa due to several reasons, including the country’s decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice, its land expropriation law, and alleged mistreatment of Afrikaners. The sanctions, imposed through an executive order by President Donald Trump, will halt approximately $440 million in US aid to South Africa.
The order also paves the way for Afrikaners to be resettled in the US as refugees, citing racial discrimination and land confiscation as reasons .However, it’s worth noting that no international human rights body has officially classified Afrikaners as a persecuted group.
The sanctions are expected to create diplomatic tension between the US and South Africa, potentially impacting trade relations and mineral exports.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa – who signed into law a bill last month aimed at making it easier for the state to expropriate land in the public interest – has defended the policy. He has said the government had not confiscated any land and the policy was aimed at evening out racial disparities in land ownership in the Black-majority nation. Ramaphosa said South Africa “will not be bullied.”
Washington has also complained about the case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice, where it accused Israel of genocide over Israel’s military assault on Gaza that has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis.
Israel denies the allegations, saying it acted in self-defense following a deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian Hamas militants.
The White House cited that case as an example of South Africa taking positions against Washington and its allies.
The executive order signed by Trump will address human rights issues in South Africa, the White House said. Trump had threatened to cut off funding for the nation soon after taking office.
The question of land ownership is highly politically charged in South Africa, due to the legacy of the colonial and apartheid eras when Black people were dispossessed of their lands and denied property rights.
White landowners still possess three-quarters of South Africa’s freehold farmland. This contrasts with 4% owned by Black people, who make up 80% of the population compared with about 8% for whites, according to the latest 2017 land audit.
—
Dandaro Online, Zimbabwe Latest News Today
