Britain supports South Africa’s land reform program provided it is carried out legally, Prime Minister Theresa May said in Cape Town on Tuesday, adding that she would discuss the issue with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The UK has for some time now supported land reform. Land reform that is legal, that is transparent, that is generated through a democratic process,” May told newsmen.
“It’s an issue that I raised and discussed with President Ramaphosa when he was in London earlier this year.
“I’ll be talking about it with him later today.”
NAN reports that on August 22, US President Donald Trump said he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to study South African “land and farm seizures” and “killing of farmers”, prompting Pretoria to accuse Trump of stoking racial divisions.
Trump’s comments have inflamed an already high-octane debate over land in South Africa, a country that remains deeply racially divided and unequal nearly a quarter of a century after Nelson Mandela swept to power at the end of apartheid.
“I have asked Secretary of State @SecPompeo to closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and large scale killing of farmers,” Trump said on Twitter.
South Africa’s foreign ministry will seek clarification of Trump’s comments from the US Embassy in Pretoria, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokeswoman said, adding that Trump was “misinformed”.
“South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past,” a tweet from South Africa’s official government account said in response to Trump’s comments.
South Africa’s communications minister said Trump’s tweet would not affect relations between South Africa and the United States.
“The tweet has not determined our approach to the United States on our current relationship and future relationship,” Nomvula Mokonyane said after a cabinet meeting.
The US State Department was not immediately available for comment on Trump’s tweet.
Ramaphosa announced on August 1 that the ruling African National Congress plans to change the constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation, as whites still own most of South Africa’s land.
Ramaphosa has said any land reform will be conducted without an impact on economic growth or food security.
No land has been “seized” since the reform plans were announced, the ANC says.
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