What in the World
What in the World
Why is a new land law in South Africa controversial, and why is Trump involved?
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February 19, 2025
14 minutes
Available for over a year
South Africa faced the wrath of US President Donald Trump recently when he incorrectly accused the country’s government of confiscating land from white people.
Trump said South Africa was pursuing what he called "unjust and immoral practices" against the white minority Afrikaner community. As a result he’s frozen American foreign aid to the country and threatened to cut off all future funding, causing shockwaves across South Africa.
So how did we get here? What exactly is South Africa's Expropriation Act? And what influence is one of President Trump’s closest allies, South African born Elon Musk, having on the decisions being made? The BBC's Karnie Sharp talks us through what we need to know.
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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Mora Morrison and Josh Jenkins
Editor: Verity Wilde