Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Feb 3: Former US President Donald Trump has announced a freeze on all future funding to South Africa, alleging that "certain classes of people" are being treated "very badly" and calling for a formal investigation into the matter.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump claimed that South Africa was "confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY," though he provided no evidence to support his allegations. He described the situation as a "massive human rights violation" and vowed that the United States "will act."

The US provides various forms of assistance to South Africa, with nearly $440 million allocated in 2023. Trump's decision follows his administration’s broader review of foreign aid, which has already frozen funding to the World Health Organization and several countries, including Bangladesh.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa previously stated that he had no concerns about relations with Trump and looked forward to working with his administration. However, Trump has previously raised unverified claims about land seizures and violence against white farmers in South Africa.

With the 90-day foreign aid freeze in effect, US-funded programmes worldwide are facing uncertainty, with many shutting down or laying off staff as they await further decisions.