South Africa’s second-largest political party has filed a legal challenge against a land expropriation law that prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to cut all funding to the country, calling the law unconstitutional.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), a key member of South Africa’s governing coalition, announced the legal action Monday, increasing pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa. Trump issued an executive order Friday halting U.S. aid to South Africa, citing concerns over the law, which he described as a violation of property rights.
The legislation allows the South African government to expropriate land in the public interest, including without compensation in cases where negotiations for a settlement have failed. The government maintains that the law targets unused land and does not permit arbitrary seizures.
Authorities have dismissed Trump’s claims that the law specifically targets land owned by white Afrikaner farmers, who are descended from European settlers.
The DA, South Africa’s most prominent white-led political party with a multi-racial support base, has long opposed the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Despite joining a 10-party governing coalition last year, the DA argues the law grants excessive power to the government.
“We reject this Expropriation Act because we believe no democratic government should have such sweeping powers to seize property without compensation,” the DA said, calling for the law to be nullified.
The party also reminded the ANC that it failed to secure a majority in last year’s election and must now share power for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994.
The law has sparked concerns among Afrikaner groups, who own a significant share of South Africa’s commercial farms. Some have traveled to the U.S. in recent years to lobby against the legislation while it was still under consideration.
Trump’s executive order halting U.S. assistance to South Africa extends beyond the land law. It also cites the country’s foreign policy stance, including its accusation of genocide against Israel at the United Nations’ top court and its ties with Russia, China, and Iran. The order further criticizes South Africa’s alleged support for Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Trump also claimed that South Africa was allowing violent attacks on white farmers, a claim frequently amplified by conservative commentators, including his adviser Elon Musk. However, government officials and experts have refuted these allegations, stating that while some white farmers have been killed, such attacks form a small fraction of the country’s overall violent crime rates.
Despite Trump’s claims of land confiscation, the country’s main farmers’ union has confirmed that no land has been seized under the new law.
The legal battle over land expropriation is expected to be closely watched, with significant implications for South Africa’s economy and international relations.
