The United States has suspended most foreign aid to South Africa following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The directive, citing alleged discrimination against white South Africans, has escalated tensions between the two countries.
The decision, implemented through a State Department cable, halts nearly all assistance programs, except for HIV/AIDS relief. It marks a significant shift in US-South Africa relations, driven in part by the administration’s broader reassessment of foreign aid.
Executive Order Cites Discrimination Claims
The aid suspension follows Executive Order 14204, which was signed by Trump on 7 February. According to the State Department cable, seen by The Guardian, the order targets what the administration describes as “egregious actions” by the South African government.
It specifically claims that white Afrikaners face “unjust racial discrimination”, referencing concerns over South Africa’s land reform policies.
The bill in question allows for state acquisition of private land without compensation under specific conditions. While South African officials argue that such seizures would be rare and legally regulated, the Trump administration has framed the policy as an attack on white landowners.
President Trump previously criticised the law, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rejecting these claims as misinformation.
Elon Musk, the South African-born billionaire and a close ally of Trump, has also condemned these policies. Musk, who leads the administration’s government efficiency team, has called South Africa’s laws “openly racist”. According to The Guardian, his influence is widely seen as a factor in the administration’s hardline stance.
The directive, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, orders all State Department bureaus and offices to “pause all obligations and/or dispersion of aid” to South Africa. Only PEPFAR, the US global HIV/AIDS program, will continue without further review.
Tensions Grow as Trade and Diplomacy Take a Hit
The aid freeze is the latest in a series of diplomatic strains between Washington and Pretoria. The Trump administration has also criticised South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Meanwhile, Trump has extended refugee status to wealthy white Afrikaners seeking to relocate to the US, a move that has further aggravated tensions.
On the economic front, the decision comes as South Africa prepares a new trade proposal amid uncertainty over the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The programme, which allows duty-free exports to the US, is crucial to South Africa’s trade relations.
The aid suspension could signal a broader shift in US policy, with potential economic consequences for both countries.
Earlier this week, South African officials also confirmed that the US had withdrawn from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). The initiative, which previously funded climate-related projects, has been scrapped following Trump’s rollback of international climate finance commitments.
