Introduction
A recent executive order passed by the Trump administration has yet again raised the question: does Trump have a co-president in Elon Musk? On February 7th, 2025, an executive order was issued instructing the immediate suspension of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to South Africa for 90 days. The order signed by Trump states that South Africa has enacted an expropriation act that enables the government to seize land without compensation. According to the executive order, this will threaten the equal opportunity and ownership rights of Afrikaners, the white population of South Africa. The order also states that South Africa has opposed the USA and its allies by accusing Israel of genocide in the International Court of Justice and reviving its relationship with Iran. Citing all these reasons, America suspended the aid to South Africa for 90 days.
History of US-South Africa Relations
South Africa is America’s largest trade partner in Africa, and the two countries share a strong bilateral relationship. South Africa is also the only African country that is part of the G20, a group of the 20 strongest economies in the world, and was also the first country in Africa to become part of the BRICS group of emerging economies. South Africa, therefore, plays a leadership role for the whole of Africa. South Africa has always been considered a strong ally of the USA. It is also the largest beneficiary of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA).
This US trade agreement provides duty-free access to US markets for sub-Saharan African countries. This democratic alliance, however, started to derail back in 2024 during the administration of Joe Biden when South Africa brought Israel to the International Court of Justice, alleging genocide against the people of Palestine. Israel is one of the strongest allies of the USA, which has also been financially supporting Israel; therefore, South Africa’s action was not well received. At the same time in 2024, South Africa began to strengthen its democratic relationships with China, Russia, and Iran, which became another reason for the USA’s disappointment.
South Africa’s Expropriation Act
In January 2025, South Africa passed its Expropriation Act, which allows the government to seize land without compensation. This, as explained by South Africa, is not a blanket permission but a step towards equal land distribution in the country. South Africa has a long history of colonization and apartheid under the Dutch and the British. In this period, colonizers made racist laws in the country that were unfair to the indigenous South Africans, which resulted in the unfair distribution of land and other resources in the country.
Although South Africa has been free since 1994, the signs of colonization are still evident. Currently, white Africans, Afrikaners, only make up 7% of the total population but hold 58% of the total land in the country and more than 70% of all farmland. Many experts in South Africa believe that if this situation of unfair distribution of land continues, the indigenous South Africans might end up landless and homeless. To deal with this situation, South Africa’s government passed the Expropriation Act of 2025, which is considered by many as the first step towards equal land distribution in the country.
US Response
Shortly after the act was passed, the Trump administration made its displeasure clear. Washington believes that the legislation is discriminating against the white population of the country, despite the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, saying that the implementation of the act will be in an equitable and just manner. The Trump administration’s South African-born adviser Elon Musk also openly opposed the act and called it “openly racist” in a social media post, which is ironic, given the history of apartheid in South Africa. Many experts raised the question, what is the USA’s interest in the land distribution of South Africa, which led them to believe that the administration’s strong opposition might be due to the personal interest of Elon Musk, whose father still lives in South Africa.
Following the passing of the act, the Trump administration, on many occasions, said that the legislation is openly racist and there are some “very bad things” happening against the white African population of South Africa. It’s important to note here that the USA alleges that confiscation and seizure of land has already begun, despite President Ramaphosa saying that the implementation of South Africa’s Expropriation Act has not started and the principle of equity and justice will be upheld in its application.
Many experts on the topic say that it is not new for a country to have expropriation laws; many countries, including the USA, have legislated such acts in the past. According to experts, this shows the US administration is undermining the knowledge and ability of the South African government to handle the country’s domestic affairs.
“White Genocide”
The Trump administration has also claimed that there has been a “white genocide” going on in South Africa for years and the government has stayed silent. They claim that white farmers are targeted in South Africa and the Expropriation Act will make the Afrikaners more of a target. The Trump administration also made the same claim back in 2018. However, there has been no evidence to support the claim. Although attacks on farmers are an issue in South Africa, experts believe that the attacks are not racially motivated. There have been white farmers’ deaths, which is mainly because white farmers are wealthier.
A forum of white South Africans, the AfriForum has been advocating the claim of “white genocide” for years. The Trump administration adopted this rhetoric, but now, the AfriForum claims to be surprised by the USA’s allegations against South Africa. In the executive order regarding South Africa, the administration also offered to give refuge to Afrikaners in the US which they vehemently refused, stating they do not want to be resettled in the US. To remedy the situation, President Ramaphosa met with Trump’s advisor, Elon Musk, to discuss the situation and clear the misunderstandings, but to no avail.
The G20 Summit 2025
Citing South Africa’s Expropriation Act, the allegations against Israel in the ICJ, and the growing democratic relationship with Russia, China, and Iran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a social media post that he won’t attend the first meeting of the G20 summit scheduled to be held in Johannesburg in February of 2025. The G20 was established back in 1999. It is a group of twenty of the largest economies in the world, and South Africa is the only African country that is a part of the G20. South Africa is holding the presidency of the summit for 2025, and the main summit is scheduled for November of this year in Johannesburg.
The US state secretary, Marco Rubio, said his job is to work for the better interest of the American people, not to “coddle anti-Americanism.” The G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, and the US secretary of state was notably absent. Commenting on the absence of the US, President Ramaphosa said that as a solutions-oriented person, he believes the absence of the US secretary of state is not the end of the world and that the situation can be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Ramaphosa and many other experts believe that the absence at the meeting does not mean the US has completely boycotted the summit; there is a chance the Trump administration may be present at the actual summit that is to be held in November this year.
Conclusion
The bilateral relationship between South Africa and America had been derailing even before President Trump came to office. The two countries were seen as strong allies in the past, but the current situation suggests otherwise. Experts on the matter believe that the US is trying to “punish” South Africa, so it blocked aid to the country for 90 days and refused to participate in the G20 summit. The president of South Africa holds a firm stance in this regard. In a recent statement, President Ramaphosa said that South Africa will not be bullied into compliance and that the people of South Africa are resilient and have persevered in the past against all odds and will continue to do the same. Although the president of South Africa is optimistic about the situation, the reality is that if the US boycotts the G20 summit, this will have a huge effect on the whole continent, not just South Africa.
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Fatima Mazhar is a 9th-semester law student at the International Islamic University, Islamabad. She is currently serving as the chairperson of the Law Students Council, Pakistan.