Donald Trump and the tormented history of South Africa

Donald Trump has always been busy with the most local policy in South Africa in South Africa: Earth.

During his first term, then US President Mike Pompeo-via Twitter-directed a “close study of South Africa and farms” and “widespread murder for farmers.”

This week, pets were repeated in the face of an oval office with South African President Cyril Ramavusa, who closed his eyes at some point and it seemed to remain calm. Trump’s main claim was that “South African officials” were saying “killing white farms and taking their lands.”

South Africa knows that the image on the ground is completely different. The latest Earth’s confiscations occurred there under the apartheid system, when 87 percent of South Africa were dedicated to white people, who were representing less than a fifth of the population.

The brutal evacuation operations forced about 3.5 million blacks on the lands of their ancestors, which were often calculated without compensation and sold at low prices for white farmers.

By the time when the country became a multi -ethnic democracy in 1994, white farmers still retain about 77 million hectares of the country of 122 million hectares of land.

The episodes of the Apartheid era formed today South Africa.

“These divisions are very ongoing,” said Aisha Omar, a lecturer at the University of Whitrondandand. “There was a deep way in which people were stripped of their lands … Of course, there was a complete dignity issue.”

Today, white farmers still have nearly half of the country, although only 7 percent of citizens are white. The lack of official access to the black majority and other groups historically deprived of benefiting from work prospects, including borrowing against the guarantees, brought by this property.

The newly opened Nelson Mandela government sought to compensate for this balance. Aim Redistribution From lands to historically deprived groups, including blacks, through the “seller, the buyer who wants” to buy land at market prices.

The new democracy constitution allowed land confiscation in exchange for fair compensation. This has always been an explosive issue, as some politicians have argued that it should be modified to allow the seizure of the ground in some cases, without compensation.

Omar said: “The constitution is dealing with itself centered questions about how to face the historical injustice of the past on the question of the Earth.”

The law approved in January opened the possibility of seizures without compensation, but there was no single argument yet. The Democratic Alliance, a party in the ruling coalition, launched a legal challenge that is unconstitutional.

The progress of the goal of redistribution was much slower than the post -apartheid government. The country has so far bought about 3.9 million hectares, or 2.5 percent of the country’s ground block.

This was used for various purposes, including agriculture, forests, tourism and hospitality.

He added: “The purchase of lands from the former owners, especially the owners of white, depends on negotiation agreements.”

The government targets for the redistribution of land were over and over again Pay again for two decades until 2030. One of the many reasons that remains South Africa remains among the most unequal societies in the world. Progress has also been strengthened by corruption.

Johnny Steinberg, author of the book “The author of a book”, said, “It is clear that it is more than just a transmission of land.” The state of South Africa does not have the ability to do what you want to do. It is more than just a land transfer. ” Winnie and NelsonA book that re -examines the post -apartheid heritage.

He added that the potential new landowners need “experience and assistance in capital and market.”

Another dose in this process is the historical transformation of the white minority from the black majority to the industrial proletariat, which cuts their ties to the Earth.

Along with his views on the Earth, Trump claimed white farmers faced large -scale attacks. But there is no evidence that they are facing more targeted attacks than any other group, amid high violent crime rates in South Africa.

In the first quarter of 2025, there were six murders on farms, including a white farmer and the rest, according to police figures.

Last year, 2,6232 people were killed in South Africa, at a rate of 45 per 100,000 compared to 5.8 per 100,000 in the United States. During this period, the Agricultural Union in Transfal, a private agricultural group, said that there are 32 murders on farms, which affects both blacks and eggs.

With the progress of reform slowly, the populists like Julius Malema-the extremist leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters Party, which was presented to singing the song of the conflict in the era of the apartheid “Boer” during the meeting of the Oval Office-the increasing discontent among black citizens.

Corn Mold, leader of the team of Africa Interest Freedom Plus, a minority party in the 10 -party ruling coalition, at the same time blamed Ramavusa for not addressing the differences with Trump behind closed doors, describing the meeting of the Oval Office “an absolute diplomatic disaster”.

But he claimed that Trump used the “genocide” claims “strategically” to highlight violence against white farmers.

Trump has been repeatedly martyred under a law in January that allows the government to issue appropriate lands for the private sector – the vast majority of which are still owned by white – for public use. Experts compared the legislation, which was approved unconstitutional, with a US government authority known as the “prominent field”.

This law works through a separate mechanism from the broader land reform policy. Analysts say it is likely to be used in cases that include, for example, the inner city buildings that cannot be found.

It determines that when the courts are considered “fair and fair”, no compensation must be paid. To date, this ruling has not been called.

He urged him to consult in South Africa billionaire, Elon Musk, Trump claimed that this law aims to seize lands of eggs, and launched a refugee plan to resettle the members of the African minority in the United States. Washington has claimed that the group, which follows its roots to the first Dutch settlers in 1652, is “victims of non -fair racial discrimination”.

But few Africans expressed their interest in moving. “All we know is that we overwhelm people, with white farmers from South Africa,” Trump said, referring to 59 African arranged his administration in a hurry to travel to the United States this month.

Within the commercial agriculture in South Africa, which is competing globally with countries including Australia and Brazil, farmers feel much more anxious about the American proposal by 30 percent of the customs tariff for their country’s goods.

Away from fleeing the country, African farmers mostly helped to enhance exports – mainly consisting of fruits and wine – from $ 2 billion in 2001 to $ 14 billion in 2024. The industry exports a total of $ 13.7 billion of products last year.

Agriculture remains one of the few South African industries that flourish even as general economic growth slows down to less than 1 percent annually, and a third of people are unemployed.

Wandley Sehloopo, chief economist in the Agricultural Business Chamber in South Africa, said that the agricultural sector is currently supported by the funding of about 220 billion Rand ($ 12.3 billion) of commercial banks.

“This financing indicates the level of confidence in the current land reform process,” said Sehlobo, an economic advisor to the president. “In a sector under the siege, you will not sell $ 14 billion of products.”

Participated in additional reports by David Belling in London