Ramaphosa Calls for Unity in Response to Trump’s Criticism

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa emphasized the need for national unity following criticism from US President Donald Trump regarding the nation’s new land-expropriation legislation and foreign policy.

“We must remain united as a nation, especially in these challenging global times,” Ramaphosa stated to lawmakers in Cape Town during his response to a debate on his state-of-the-nation address on Thursday.

Read: Trump’s tantrum: SA must avoid an economic own goal

“I want to reiterate, we will not be intimidated by anyone, whether from within or outside the country.”

Last week, Trump suspended most aid to South Africa after criticizing its associations with Hamas and Iran, mistakenly alleging that the government was involved in land seizures.

Ramaphosa noted that, while the South African government will never allow individuals to be forcibly evicted from their land, land reform is necessary even three decades after the conclusion of white-minority rule.

“The transformation of our society, like the restitution process, is an unfinished journey. It continues to evolve,” he remarked.

“Much work remains to address the divisions of our past.”

A new law enacted by Ramaphosa in January empowers the government to acquire land for public purposes, such as constructing roads or schools, or for public interest solutions aimed at ensuring “equitable access to South Africa’s natural resources” to rectify the inequities of previous discriminatory laws and practices.

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Landowners facing expropriation are entitled to receive “just and equitable” compensation; however, the law includes a clause that allows for no compensation in certain cases, such as when the land is unutilized or has been acquired for speculative reasons.

Ramaphosa’s address comes just a week before South Africa is set to host a gathering of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 nations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced his intention to boycott the meeting in protest of South Africa’s land policies and for using its rotating presidency “to endorse ‘solidarity, equality & sustainability. In other words: DEI and climate change.”

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