South Africa has described US President Donald Trump's tweet about "land and farm seizures" misinformed and said it will be taking up the matter through diplomatic channels.
Mr Trump's statement on Twitter appeared to come in response to a Fox News report yesterday that focused on land issues in South Africa and the killing of white landowners.
"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," President Trump said in the post.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on 1 August that the ruling African National Congress is forging ahead with plans to change the constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation, as white people still own most of South Africa's land more than two decades after the end of apartheid.
A spokeswoman for Mr Ramaphosa said Mr Trump's tweet was "misinformed".
"The presidency has noted Trump's tweet, which is misinformed in our view," a spokeswoman for Mr Ramaphosa said. "We will take up the matter through diplomatic channels."
South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past. #landexpropriation @realDonaldTrump @PresidencyZA
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) August 23, 2018
The US State Department has not commented on Mr Ramaphosa's announcement.
I have asked Secretary of State @SecPompeo to closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers. "South African Government is now seizing land from white farmers." @TuckerCarlson @FoxNews
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2018
Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the ANC has followed a "willing-seller, willing-buyer" model under which the government buys white-owned farms for redistribution to blacks. Progress has been slow.
South Africa's state-owned Land Bank said on Monday a plan to allow the state to seize land without compensation could trigger defaults that could cost the government 41 billion rand (€2.4bn) if the bank's rights as a creditor are not protected.
Mr Trump's tweet comes days after it was announced that his wife, Melania, will travel to Africa in October for her first major solo international trip as first lady.
In January, South Africa protested to the US embassy in Pretoria about reported remarks by President Trump that some immigrants from Africa and Haiti come from "sh*thole" countries.
South Africa's foreign ministry called the remarks, which sources said Mr Trump made during a meeting on immigration legislation, "crude and offensive" and said Mr Trump’s subsequent denial was not categorical.
