John Adoyi
South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has described the United States’ decision to cut aid funding to the country as a “wake-up call” for self-reliance.
Speaking at the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa’s (Denosa) ninth congress on Tuesday, Ramaphosa responded to the move, which followed criticism from US officials and billionaire Elon Musk over South Africa’s policies both at home and abroad.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“We have had discussions about the stoppage of funding. It is entirely within their own rights, it’s their money, and in many ways, it’s a wake-up call,” Ramaphosa said.
“As South Africans, we have to find ways of being self-reliant, of relying on our own resources, and that is what our people expect, even within our fiscal constraints and challenges.”
The funding cut stems from growing tensions between both countries over South Africa’s land appropriation policy and its support for Palestine against Israel, a key US ally.
Earlier this year, the South African government enacted a land appropriation bill that sparked backlash from US President Donald Trump and Musk, who was born in South Africa.
READ ALSO: Trump Criticises Ramaphosa’s Land Policy, Threatens To Cut Off Funding To South Africa
Trump condemned the legislation, stating, “Terrible things are happening in South Africa, they are confiscating land, and actually, they are doing things that are perhaps far worse than that.”
Musk echoed similar sentiments, accusing the South African government of supporting the “genocide” of white farmers.
Additionally, the US government has expressed strong opposition to South Africa’s foreign policy stance, particularly its vocal support for the people of Palestine in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Washington views South Africa’s position as antagonistic to US interests in the region, given its close alliance with Israel.
READ ALSO: Trump’s Foreign Aid Cuts: A Wake-up Call For Real Development Of Africa – Moghalu
In response to these policies, Trump signed an executive order on February 7, halting approximately $439 million in US aid to South Africa, including funding under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which accounts for 17% of the country’s HIV/AIDS programme.
The order also included a provision to support the resettlement of Afrikaner farmers, whom Trump described as victims of “government-sponsored race-based discrimination.”
Ramaphosa has firmly rejected these allegations. He reiterated that South Africa’s sovereignty remains paramount and that the government, not foreign states, bears responsibility for the nation’s healthcare and economic well-being.
“Our sovereignty is important,” Ramaphosa said. “It should also mean that we must find ways all the time to look after the welfare of South Africans with our own resources.”
Despite the tensions, Ramaphosa expressed hope that relations between South Africa and the US could still be salvaged.
This comes even after the US expelled South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, over comments he made about the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
