South Africa’s ruling coalition turned on itself in court over a new land reform law at the heart of a diplomatic rift with the US.
A lawsuit spearheaded by the Democratic Alliance — the government’s second-largest party, traditionally backed by white South Africans — claims the Expropriation Act is at odds with international investment treaties and was passed through flawed parliamentary procedures. The legal showdown, in which the DA has teamed up with lobbyists, will test the government’s stability.
The legislation, signed into law in early 2025, allows the government to seize private land for public use, paying zero money to the owner in certain circumstances, such as abandoned properties. Land ownership remains a charged issue in South Africa more than 30 years after the end of white minority rule. Some 72% of private land is owned by white people, who make up around 7% of the population, according to the latest available land audit by the government.
The law drew a swift reaction from Washington: President Donald Trump told federal agencies to consider potential refugee status for white Afrikaner farmers and issued executive orders freezing aid for South Africa.