Ramaphosa tells Trump to butt out in 2018

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Following US President Donald Trump’s remarks on South Africa’s land policies and threats to cut all US funding, South Africa hit back, and this is not the first time. On 3 February 2025, Trump warned South Africa about confiscating land and stated that the US will not support it.

Ramaphosa reacts to Trump’s threat

President Cyril Ramaphosa and other political figures, such as Julius Malema, had strong reactions defending the Land Expropriation Act. Ramaphosa said that South Africa is ready to engage on the matter. This was in response to threats by Trump to cut funding to South Africa over the country’s new expropriation laws.

‘South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,’ said Trump. He added that ‘the United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!’

The South African Presidency issued a statement saying that the South African Government has not confiscated any land. Also, it states that the Expropriation Act ‘is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the Constitution’.

According to the statement, expropriation laws are not unique to South Africa. They are also present in the US and other countries.

“We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters.”
The Presidency�

‘He must leave us alone,’ says Ramaphosa

Looking back, this is not the first time that Ramaphosa and Trump are involved in a debate around South African government affairs and land reforms.

In 2018, Ramaphosa told Trump to stay out of South Africa’s affairs. Ramaphosa said at the time that it was very wrong for President Trump to interfere in the domestic affairs of South Africa. He added that Trump must stay out of South Africa’s issues and that the South African government will in return not get involved in America’s issues.

Ramaphosa emphasised that Trump was not present during negotiations around ending apartheid. Consequently, he said that Trump should ‘stick around there in the White House and that we [the South African government] will do [their] business here’.