Johannesburg (CNN) South Africa hit back at Donald Trump on Thursday after the US President criticized the country's land reform policies in an overnight tweet.

The controversy began when Trump tweeted late Wednesday that he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to "closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers."

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

Trump's tweet appeared to be in response to a report on Fox News which alleged that the South African government was "seizing land from white farmers."

On Thursday, the South African government said Trump's tweet was "based on false information" and said it would call on the US Embassy to explain the President's remarks.

"South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past," the government tweeted. "South Africa will speed up the pace of land reform in a careful and inclusive manner that does not divide our nation."

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

Read More </s> In this photo taken Oct. 30, 2017 people place white crosses, representing farmers killed in the country, at a ceremony at the Vorrtrekker Monument in Pretoria, South Africa. U.S. President Donald Trump has tweeted that he has asked the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to "closely study the South African land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers." Trump added, "South African Government is now seizing land from white farmers." (AP Photo) ORG XMIT: XDF104

WASHINGTON — The South African government on Thursday slammed President Donald Trump’s tweet calling for the U.S. to examine South Africa’s land and “farm seizures” from white farmers.

Trump tweeted on Wednesday night that he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to look into “South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers.”

The president’s missive came shortly after Fox News aired a report asserting that the South African government is “now seizing land from white farmers,” which is not true.

“South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past,” the South African government tweeted in response to Trump’s statement.

South Africa is in the throes of a racially charged national debate over land reform, a lawful process that seeks to correct the legacy of decades of white minority rule that stripped blacks of their land. Today, nearly a quarter-century after the first democratic elections, black South Africans comprise 80 percent of the population but own just 4 percent of the country’s land, according to the government.

In July, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his party would amend the constitution so the state could expropriate land without compensation to speed up the land reform process, but that has not yet happened and no land has been seized.

For years, a small but vocal group of white South Africans have claimed white farmers are the target of violent, racially motivated farm attacks. Experts say the attacks reflect the country’s generally high crime rate and that there is no evidence connecting them to the victims’ race.

Farm murders have been declining since their peak in 2001, according to research by Agri SA, an umbrella group of South African agricultural associations. In 2016-17, there were 74 murders during farm attacks, according to Africa Check , compared to 19,000 murders across the country in the same period.

On Thursday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert confirmed that Trump and Pompeo had spoken about the issue of land reform in South Africa.

“I can tell you that the Secretary and the president certainly discussed it,” Nauert said. “The president asked him to look at the current state of action with regard to land reform,” she said, and Pompeo plans to “take a look at it.”

Nauert said that expropriation of land without compensation “would risk sending South Africa down the wrong path.” She added that the U.S. has encouraged a “peaceful and transparent debate” about land rights in South Africa, adding “that seems to be happening right now.”

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., took to Twitter to condemn Trump's "racially-charged" comments.

"Absolutely disgraceful that the president continues to target African nations and spread racially-charged claims that have no basis in evidence or fact," Booker wrote.

The former U.S. Ambassador to South African under President Obama also slammed Trump

"The President of the US needs political distractions to turn our gaze away from his criminal cabal, and so he’s attacking South Africa with the disproven racial myth of “large scale killings of farmers” This man has never visited the continent and has no discernible Africa policy," Gaspard tweeted. </s> WASHINGTON/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to study South African “land and farm seizures” and “killing of farmers”, prompting Pretoria to accuse Trump of stoking racial divisions.

Trump’s comments have inflamed an already high-octane debate over land in South Africa, a country that remains deeply racially divided and unequal nearly a quarter of a century after Nelson Mandela swept to power at the end of apartheid.

The rand currency ZAR=D3 dropped more than 1.5 percent against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Thursday after Trump's tweet had circulated in South Africa.

“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,” Trump said on Twitter.

South Africa’s foreign ministry will seek clarification of Trump’s comments from the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokeswoman said, adding that Trump was “misinformed”.

“South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past,” a tweet from South Africa’s official government account said in response to Trump’s comments.

South Africa’s communications minister said Trump’s tweet would not affect relations between South Africa and the United States.

“The tweet has not determined our approach to the United States on our current relationship and future relationship,” Nomvula Mokonyane said after a cabinet meeting.

The U.S. State Department was not immediately available for comment on Trump’s tweet.

Ramaphosa announced on Aug. 1 that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) plans to change the constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation, as whites still own most of South Africa’s land.

Ramaphosa has said any land reform will be conducted without an impact on economic growth or food security. No land has been “seized” since the reform plans were announced, the ANC says.

Trump’s tweet appeared to be a response to a Fox News report on Wednesday that focused on South Africa’s land issue and murders of white farmers.

Violent crime is a serious problem across South Africa and 47 farmers were killed in 2017-28, according to statistics from AgriSA, an association of agricultural associations. However, farm murders are at a 20-year low.

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 and most South Africans believe something has to be done to accelerate change, providing it does not hurt the economy or stoke unrest.

“Reforming the land distribution and ownership will be good for South Africa,” said political analyst Nic Borain.

“That there will be instability and worries about property rights is inevitable, but we don’t expect that the government will act in a way that radically destabilizes investor security.”

Trump’s tweet came days after it was announced that his wife, Melania, would travel to Africa in October for her first major solo international trip as first lady.

In January, South Africa protested to the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria about reported remarks by Trump that some immigrants from Africa and Haiti came from “shithole” countries.

South Africa’s foreign ministry called the remarks, which sources said Trump made during a meeting on immigration legislation, “crude and offensive” and said Trump’s subsequent denial was not categorical.

AfriForum, an organization that mostly represents white South Africans who have described land expropriation as “catastrophic”, traveled to the United States earlier this year to lobby the Senate and other officials. </s> WASHINGTON/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to study South African “land and farm seizures” and “killing of farmers”, prompting Pretoria to accuse Trump of stoking racial divisions.

Trump’s comments have inflamed an already high-octane debate over land in South Africa, a country that remains deeply racially divided and unequal nearly a quarter of a century after Nelson Mandela swept to power at the end of apartheid.

The rand currency ZAR=D3 dropped more than 1.5 percent against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Thursday after Trump's tweet had circulated in South Africa.

“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,” Trump said on Twitter.

South Africa’s foreign ministry will seek clarification of Trump’s comments from the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokeswoman said, adding that Trump was “misinformed”.

“South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past,” a tweet from South Africa’s official government account said in response to Trump’s comments.

The U.S. State Department was not immediately available for comment on Trump’s tweet.

Ramaphosa announced on Aug. 1 that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) plans to change the constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation, as whites still own most of South Africa’s land.

Ramaphosa has said any land reform will be conducted without an impact on economic growth or food security. No land has been “seized” since the reform plans were announced, the ANC says.

Trump’s tweet appeared to be a response to a Fox News report on Wednesday that focused on South Africa’s land issue and murders of white farmers.

Violent crime is a serious problem across South Africa and 47 farmers were killed in 2017-28, according to statistics from AgriSA, an association of agricultural associations. However, farm murders are at a 20-year low.

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 and most South Africans believe something has to be done to accelerate change, providing it does not hurt the economy or stoke unrest.

“Reforming the land distribution and ownership will be good for South Africa,” said political analyst Nic Borain.

“That there will be instability and worries about property rights is inevitable, but we don’t expect that the government will act in a way that radically destabilizes investor security.”

Trump’s tweet came days after it was announced that his wife, Melania, would travel to Africa in October for her first major solo international trip as first lady.

In January, South Africa protested to the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria about reported remarks by Trump that some immigrants from Africa and Haiti came from “shithole” countries.

South Africa’s foreign ministry called the remarks, which sources said Trump made during a meeting on immigration legislation, “crude and offensive” and said Trump’s subsequent denial was not categorical.

AfriForum, an organization that mostly represents white South Africans who have described land expropriation as “catastrophic”, traveled to the United States earlier this year to lobby the Senate and other officials. </s> President Donald Trump has waded into South Africa’s plans to seize and redistribute vast tracts of land from white farmers, saying in a post on Twitter late Wednesday that he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “closely study” the farm expropriations and — without providing evidence — “the large scale killing of farmers.”

“South African Government is now seizing land from white farmers,” he declared.

The tweet prompted Khusela Diko, a spokeswoman for South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, to say that Trump was “misinformed” about what the government describes as land reform, the state broadcaster said.

The government said Thursday that it would seek clarification from the U.S. Embassy, according to news reports.

“The presidency has noted Trump’s tweet, which is misinformed, in our view,” the state broadcaster quoted Diko as saying. “We will take up the matter through diplomatic channels.”

Land reform is a highly divisive issue in South Africa, where white residents, who make up 8 percent of the population, own 72 percent of land, according to official figures.

It is unclear why Trump weighed in on the country’s plans. But his comments were likely to inflame the issue in a country still struggling with the devastating effects of apartheid and widespread economic inequality decades after Nelson Mandela became the country’s first black president.

Ramaphosa announced this month that the governing African National Congress would move ahead with a proposal to change the country’s constitution and allow the expropriation of land without compensation.

A series of hearings on the subject has been held in the provinces in the past couple of months, as Parliament considers changing the law. The issue is tied to national elections next year.

While there have been some land grabs by private groups — not sanctioned by the government — some right-wing groups have been pushing the false narrative that there have been numerous seizures of white-owned farms and killings of white farmers.

In fact, research by one farmers’ organization, published in July, found that the number of killings of farmers was at a 20-year low.

Trump drew condemnation in January for using a vulgar term to describe Haiti and some African countries, a term that analysts said would please extremist groups in the United States, where the false narrative of “white genocide” has resonated.

Rex Tillerson, then secretary of state, sought to mend fences during a five-nation of Africa, promising $533 million in new aid.

Trump’s tweet on the situation in South Africa may have been inspired by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who had presented on his nightly talk show what he called an exclusive investigation on South Africa, in which the host discussed land seizures and homicides there.

The plight of farmers has also drawn the attention of Australia’s foreign minister, Peter Dutton, who angered South African officials in March by calling for emergency visas for white farmers. He later retracted his comments, including suggesting that South Africa was not a “civilized country.” </s> WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to "closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures" and the killing of farmers there.

"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," Trump said in a post on Twitter.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Aug. 1 that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is forging ahead with plans to change the constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation, as whites still own most of South Africa's land more than two decades after the end of apartheid.

Trump's tweet appeared to be a response to a Fox News report on Wednesday that focused on South Africa's land issue and murders of white farmers.

The State Department has not commented on Ramaphosa's announcement. It was not immediately available for comment on Trump's tweet.

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 ($2.8 billion) if the bank's rights as a creditor are not protected.

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 U.S. embassy in Pretoria about reported remarks by Trump that some immigrants from Africa and Haiti come from "shithole" countries.

South Africa's foreign ministry called the remarks, which sources said Trump made during a meeting on immigration legislation, "crude and offensive" and said Trump´s subsequent denial was not categorical. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton Editing by Robert Birsel) </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures” and the killing of farmers there.

“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,” Trump said in a post on Twitter.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Aug. 1 that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is forging ahead with plans to change the constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation, as whites still own most of South Africa’s land more than two decades after the end of apartheid.

Trump’s tweet appeared to be a response to a Fox News report on Wednesday that focused on South Africa’s land issue and murders of white farmers.

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 ($2.8 billion) if the bank’s rights as a creditor are not protected.

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 U.S. embassy in Pretoria about reported remarks by Trump that some immigrants from Africa and Haiti come from “shithole” countries.

South Africa’s foreign ministry called the remarks, which sources said Trump made during a meeting on immigration legislation, “crude and offensive” and said Trump’s subsequent denial was not categorical. </s> WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to "closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures" and the killing of farmers there.

"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," Trump said in a post on Twitter.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Aug. 1 that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is forging ahead with plans to change the constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation, as whites still own most of South Africa's land more than two decades after the end of apartheid. </s> South Africa’s hard-left government has begun forcibly seizing white-owned farmland, at the same time as extreme gun control measures are introduced to confiscate guns from the people.

Johannesburg-based newspaper City Press reported a letter was sent to owners Akkerland Boerdery that said: “Notice is hereby given that a terrain inspection will be held on the farms on April 5, 2018 at 10am in order to conduct an audit of the assets and a handover of the farm’s keys to the state.”

Akkerland Boerdery immediately took out an urgent injunction to prevent eviction until a court had ruled on the issue, but the Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs has refused the application.

The Express reports: Annelie Crosby, spokeswoman for the agricultural industry association AgriSA, told City Press: “What makes the Akkerland case unique is that they apparently were not given the opportunity to first dispute the claim in court, as the law requires.”

ANC spokesman ZiZi Kodwa refused to reveal details of the farms being targeted and has attempted to cal investor fears, adding the proposed seizures were “tied to addressing the injustices of the past”.

He told City Press: “Over time I think the markets as well as investors will appreciate that what we are doing is creating policy certainty and creating the conditions for future investment.”

Tensions among South Africa’s white farming community has been escalating since the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as President earlier the year, who committed his African National Congress (ANC) to land expropriation.

Last week, ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe sparked panic among the farming community when he said: “You shouldn’t own more than 25,000 acres of land.

“Therefore if you own more it should be taken without compensation.

“People who are privileged never give away privilege as a matter of a gift.

“And that is why we say, to give you the tools, revisit the constitution so that you have a legal tool to do it.”

A record number of white South African farmers have put their land up for sale amid fears the ruling party is considering confiscating properties bigger than 25,000 acres.

The government was accused of drawing up a list of almost 200 farms it allegedly wants to seize from white farmers, with AfriForum, a civil rights group representing the white Afrikaner minority, adding the document was being circulated by ministers as the ruling powers prepare to implement the policy.

It invited farmers to check if they were on it and urged them to make contact “so we can prepare a joint legal strategy”.

But the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform denied the list was real with spokeswoman Linda Page telling News24: “We don’t know where they got this from. There is no truth in this document.”

On Sunday, Afriforum CEO Ernest Roets confirmed that the two farms – Salaitna and Lukin – were the first two to be targeted.

He said: “So the debate about the authenticity of the list is settled then?

“We hope that the gravity of the state’s plans for expropriation is understood and that people will see through the dishonesty of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development.

“We hope that the attempts to discredit the legitimacy of the list has now been proven to be malicious for good. We shouldn’t be misled by those who sing Kumbaya while the state is planning to expropriate property.”

AgriSA has labelled Afriforum’s decision to release the list as “irresponsible” and inflammatory” dying “cursory background research” showed several inaccuracies, including that a number of farmers were joint ventures co-owend by black people.

Earlier this month, cattle farmer Jo-an Engelbrecht told ABC that his farm just outside Johannesburg was now “worth zero”.

He said: “We had several auctions in the last two or three weeks cancelled because there was no people interested in buying the land.

“Why would you buy a farm to know the government’s going to take it?”
The government of South Africa rejects a tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump as "based on false information", in which he appeared to respond to a Fox News report stating that the South African government is "now seizing land from white farmers."