We will not be bullied, says South Africa's Ramaphosa after US barbs

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stands for the National Anthem at the Cape Town City Hall on February 6, 2025 ahead of the 2025 State of the Nation address. [AFP]

South Africa will not be bullied, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a national address Thursday, after his government faced criticism from senior US officials including President Donald Trump.

"We are witnessing the rise of nationalism, protectionism, the pursuit of narrow interests, and the decline of common cause," Ramaphosa said.

"This is the world that we as South Africa, a developing economy, must now navigate, but we are not daunted," he said. "We are, as South Africans, a resilient people, and we will not be bullied."

Trump asserted this week that South Africa was "confiscating" land via an expropriation act signed last month, a charge the South African government denies and has described as "misinformation".

The US leader, who is advised by South Africa-born Elon Musk, also accused Pretoria of "treating certain classes of people very badly" and threatened to cut funding to the country.

The act signed by Ramaphosa last month stipulates the government may, in some circumstances, offer "nil compensation" for property it decides to seize in the public interest.

Land ownership is a contentious issue in South Africa with most farmland still owned by white people three decades after the end of apartheid and the government under pressure to implement reforms.

Following Trump's charge, Musk used his social media platform X to accuse Ramaphosa's government of having "openly racist ownership laws".

Attempts to licence Musk's Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa have reportedly been delayed by a policy that requires major companies to provide 30 per cent equity to historically disadvantaged groups.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio added to the criticism Wednesday saying he would skip G20 talks this month in South Africa, accusing the host government of having an "anti-American" agenda.

In his address, Ramaphosa also said Trump's decision to suspend US international aid was a concern for South Africa, where it funds about 17 per cent of AIDS/HIV treatment programmes.

"We are looking at various interventions to address the immediate needs and ensure the continuity of the essential services that we might lose if this funding does not come through," he said.

South Africa has one of the highest AIDS/HIV rates in the world and about 5.5 million people receive anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment.