The US is halting with immediate effect all its foreign assistance to South Africa, claiming that the country is engaging in “unjust racial discrimination” against its white minority, a stance that parrot’s opinion often supported by President Donald Trump’s ally Elon Musk.
The new directive follows the controversial Executive Order 14204 signed by Trump at the beginning of February that paused foreign aid pending review. The Guardian first broke the news, citing access to a cable issued by the US State Department and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to them, the cable reads, “all bureaus, offices and missions shall pause all obligations and/or dispersion of aid or assistance to South Africa.”
The only aid programme that will still operate in South Africa is Pepfar, the US programme focused on HIV/Aids treatment. Everything else will have to be cleared with special permission, subject to review by Peter Marocco, to who Rubio delegated the role and who is responsible for overseeing the end of most US-funded aid programmes worldwide. The new guidance that Marocco presided over mentions that there will be “a very high bar” in order to restart previous USAid programmes.
It is unclear whether or not Musk was involved in this decision. However, Musk, himself a white South African, often said that his country is enforcing racist policies, especially against white citizens, who make up 7% of the total population, but who, after decades of racially segregated apartheid rule, still disproportionally control most wealth and land in the country.
Trump openly criticised a new South African land law, saying that it discriminate against white citizens. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected the claim. The new law allows the government to seize private land without compensation, but only in specific circumstances that must be approved in court. Trump offered refugee status to wealthy white South Africans who wanted to relocate to the United States.
The freeze of aid is just the latest of a series of spats between two countries that had a good relationship until Trump took office. Recently, the US has dropped from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a programme to help the country with green energy transition and the new administration is also flaunting a possible end of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, as it allows duty-free exports from African countries to the US.
