A law that allows the government to confiscate land has reignited racial tensions that have dogged Africa's southernmost tip ever since European settlers began arriving nearly four centuries ago.

South Africa has a new law to govern the expropriation (or compulsory acquisition) of private property by government for public purposes or in the public interest. The passing of the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 followed a parliamentary process that began in 2020.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday evening he was boycotting the G20 meeting in South Africa scheduled for later this month over the country's controversial land expropriation law.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he will cut off funding for South Africa over a new land expropriation policy. South Africa defended itself on Monday against attacks on the policy by Trump and his billionaire backer Elon Musk,

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday formalizing his announcement earlier this week that he’ll freeze assistance to South Africa for a law aiming to address some of the wrongs of South Africa’s racist apartheid era — a law the White House says amounts to discrimination against the country’s white minority.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to cut U.S. financial assistance to South Africa, the White House said on Friday, citing disapproval of its land policy and of its genocide case at the International Court of Justice against Washington's ally Israel.