President Donald Trump is withholding foreign aid from South Africa until it reforms its law that he and Elon Musk alleged discriminates against White South Africans.
On Friday, the POTUS signed an executive order demanding government officials "prioritize humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, for Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination," CBS News reported.
South African officials denied Trump's "misinformation and distortions," according to AP News, and said no land has been seized, adding that the law is aimed at capturing land that is either not being used or not serving the public.
Trump's latest executive order is antithetical to one he signed his first day in office that suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. He did, however, allow exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
The latest freeze on South African aid follows the Trump administration's freeze on the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which provides medication for the country's more than 8 million people living with HIV. The end of PEPFAR could result in up to 600,000 deaths over the next decade, global health advocates predict.
Originally published by Latin Times
