Land Policies: Ramaphosa Seeks Talks with Trump Amid Tensions

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his willingness on Thursday to engage in negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump to address growing tensions over South Africa’s land policies and its involvement in the genocide case against Israel at the World Court.

His remarks follow Trump’s recent executive order cutting U.S. financial aid to South Africa, citing concerns over the country’s land reform policies and its stance in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel, a key U.S. ally.

Speaking at a Goldman Sachs conference in Johannesburg, Ramaphosa expressed a desire to let tensions settle before making a diplomatic push. He stressed that his goal is to clarify South Africa’s position and forge a constructive agreement with Washington. “We don’t want to go and explain ourselves. We want to go and do a meaningful deal with the United States on a whole range of issues,” he said, underlining his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.

While U.S. aid is not a crucial pillar of South Africa’s economy, there are concerns that Trump’s policies could threaten the country’s preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

South Africa has sought to maintain a balanced foreign policy, avoiding deep alignment with any major global power—including the U.S., China, and Russia. However, Trump has pointed to South Africa’s role in the ICJ case as evidence of a widening rift between Pretoria and Washington, raising the stakes in their diplomatic relationship.