South African coalition party goes to court over law that angered Trump

South Africa’s second-largest governing coalition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has taken legal action to challenge a land seizure law that President Donald Trump deemed problematic enough to suspend aid to the nation last year. This development has further strained relations between the DA and the ruling African National Congress (ANC), in the lead-up to municipal elections scheduled for November.

The Expropriation Act, officially enacted in January 2025, empowers the state to seize land for public interest purposes, in some cases without compensating the owners, as part of a broader initiative to rectify apartheid's aftermath. Despite no land having been seized under the law to this point, it has been a contentious issue for years, both within South African borders and internationally.

The pro-business and predominantly white-led DA argues that the legislation grants the government "vague and sweeping powers," potentially deterring investment.

Contrarily, the ANC, an erstwhile liberation movement, considers the legislation a significant milestone in its quest to transform the country’s racially unequal economic landscape, where the white minority continues to dominate private farmland. Political analyst Sandile Swana posits that the court case will resemble a "shadowboxing match," with the two parties trading blows over land reform without jeopardizing their partnership.

South Africa has dismissed Trump's criticisms of its land reform policies, asserting that the Expropriation Act bears similarities to comparable laws in numerous other countries. The DA’s litigation will coincide with two other legal challenges initiated by entities advocating for Afrikaners, descendants of mostly Dutch settlers who Trump has reportedly offered refuge to. These parties allege discrimination, an assertion vehemently rejected by South Africa.

The ANC and DA formed a coalition in 2024 following an election that marked the ANC’s loss of its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of white minority rule in 1994. Despite their partnership's tumultuous history, it remains in place.