In his own post, Ramaphosa argued the Expropriation Act was designed to implement land reform “in the public interest” and address economic and racial inequality dating back to South Africa’s apartheid era, and was not a confiscatory tool.
“We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest,” Ramaphosa wrote, adding that the U.S. remains an important strategic political and trade partner for South Africa.
Elon Musk, Trump’s close ally and one of the faces of his new administration, also waded into the controversy, asking Ramaphosa on social media: “Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?”
Musk was born in South Africa during the country’s apartheid era. He became a U.S. citizen in 2002.