South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has firmly rejected claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump that the country is confiscating land from its citizens. Ramaphosa clarified that a recent law on land expropriation aims to balance public interest with private property rights, dismissing Trump’s accusations as baseless.

Trump made the remarks in posts on his platform, Truth Social, and in comments to reporters, claiming that South Africa was “doing some terrible things, horrible things” by seizing land. He even suggested the U.S. would cut off aid to the country pending an investigation. However, Ramaphosa pointed out that, aside from a program fighting HIV and AIDS, South Africa does not receive financial assistance from the U.S.

The topic of land ownership has been a sensitive issue in South Africa for decades. A 1913 law confined Black South Africans to just 7% of the country’s land, a disparity that persisted even after apartheid ended in 1994. Since then, the government has worked to redistribute land, but white South Africans, who make up about 7% of the population, still own roughly half of the country’s land.

Despite these efforts, some far-right groups and public figures, including Elon Musk, have perpetuated false narratives about widespread land seizures and even claimed white South Africans face genocide. Ramaphosa’s administration has emphasized that its land reform policies are fair and transparent, comparing them to the U.S. concept of eminent domain.

The new law allows for land to be taken without compensation in certain cases, but experts say it includes safeguards to prevent misuse. While some activists argue the law doesn’t go far enough, Ramaphosa stresses it’s a step toward addressing historical inequalities in land ownership.

As this debate continues, South Africa remains committed to engaging with international partners, including the U.S., to clarify its policies and strengthen bilateral relations.