- Title: S.Africa Afrikaner group backs Trump aid cut, urges targeted sanctions
- Date: 3rd February 2025
- Summary: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (FEBRUARY 3, 2025) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF AFRIFORUM BUILDING VARIOUS OF AFRIFORUM SIGNS VARIOUS OF AFRIFORUM HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, ERNST VAN ZYL, WORKING ON LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFRIFORUM HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, ERNST VAN ZYL, SAYING: "From AfriForum's side, I can confirm what we communicated. And that was the fact that South Africa... t
- Embargoed: 17th February 2025 12:30
- Keywords: Afriforum America Bill Cyril Donald Economy Government Politics Ramaphosa South Africa Trade Trump US USA United States expropriation
- Location: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
- City: PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Africa,Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001830603022025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: South African civil society group AfriForum on Monday (February 3) backed U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to cut aid to South Africa, but urged him to target the country's politicians rather than its people.
South Africa defended itself on Monday against attacks on its land confiscation policy by Trump and his South African-born billionaire backer Elon Musk after the U.S. president said he would cut off funding to the country over the issue.
Trump said on Sunday (February 2), without citing evidence, that "South Africa is confiscating land" and "certain classes of people" were being treated "very badly."
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement, said the government had not confiscated any land, and he looked forward to engaging with Trump to foster a better understanding over the matter.
The United States committed nearly $440 million in assistance to South Africa in 2023, the most recent U.S. government data showed. The lion's share of the sum, $315 million, was for HIV/AIDS.
AfriForum is a South African organisation focused on advancing the interests of Afrikaners, a subgroup of the country's white population. It describes itself as a civil rights group.
The organisation has drawn controversy for some of its positions, including statements by its leadership about apartheid, though it rejects characterizations of being a white nationalist or alt-right group.
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