S Africa to seek explanation from US about Trump tweet on land reform - reports

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had ordered Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to probe alleged land grabs from white farmers in South Africa.

“I have 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,” he tweeted.

Trump said he had requested the investigation after a Fox News report on seizures of land belonging to white farmers by the South African government.

The South African president’s office will seek an explanation from the US Embassy about President Donald Trump’s tweet on land reform, the state broadcaster SABS reported.

The presidency has noted Trump’s tweet, which is misinformed in our view. We will take up the matter through diplomatic channels,” President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokeswoman said.

The news channel reported that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had begun seizing land purely due to skin color and without offering any compensation.

The outlet said it had obtained a comment from the State Department, which downplayed the events as a “difficult issue of land reform” and pointed to Ramaphosa’s pledge to follow the rule of law.

Previously this month, the South African government announced that the constitution would be amended to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation. The move led to fears that the country would erupt in violence.

(SPUTNIK)