South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded to US President Donald Trump after he threatened to cut HIV/Aids funding over the country’s new land policy.
According to Ramaphosa, the South African government has not confiscated any land and the policy is a legal framework to ensure equitable access to land by the public.
“The recently adopted 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,” he said.
The South African President went on to say that while the US is a strategic political and trade partner, its support towards HIV/Aids accounts for only 17 per cent.
He insisted that South Africa does not belong to Trump and he should focus on running the United States.
Ramaphosa, however, said that he looks forward to further discussing the matter with Trump’s administration so they can have a better understanding of what it is about.
Earlier, Trump said he would cut all future funding to South Africa over allegations that it was confiscating land and treating certain classes of people very badly.
Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law a bill that allows land seizures without compensation in certain circumstances.