The Trump administration has informed South Africa that it will cease participation in the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This decision, as reported, stems from concerns about the safety and treatment of white South Africans due to ongoing violence and displacement.
The State Department outlined several reasons for this action:
- Failure to provide exemptions or alternatives for U.S. businesses under the Black Economic Advancement Act and similar policy requirements.
- Lack of government officials condemning racially charged calls to violence, like the “Kill the Boers” songs.
- Inaction regarding the Expropriation Act of 2024, which could allow land seizure without fair compensation.
- Not prioritizing local crimes or allocating adequate resources to high-crime areas.
- Actions that impede the refugee program within South African law.
A spokesperson from the State Department remarked that South Africa, as a middle-income nation, has sufficient resources to support its health initiatives.
President Trump has publicly addressed the issues facing white South Africans. For instance, in May 2025, he confronted the South African president by showcasing a video that included calls for violence against white farmers.
During a meeting with world leaders in the Oval Office, Trump reportedly dimmed the lights to play this video, highlighting a series of clips where minority party leaders called for violence against the Boers, a term for white South Africans.
As the video played, Trump noted that there were numerous burial grounds in South Africa for deceased white farmers, expressing concern for their families. The South African president appeared either unresponsive or minimally engaged during this presentation.
After the screening, a reporter from NBC addressed Trump about military jets that Qatar is supplying to the U.S. This led to a brief, tense exchange, with Trump dismissively criticizing the reporter’s question as a distraction from the pressing issues at hand.
Subsequently, Trump highlighted articles sourced by his team detailing incidents of violence against white South Africans, stating, “The stories of the last few days have been death, death, death, horrible death.”
This situation is still developing, and further updates are anticipated.
