The US State Department has ordered an immediate halt to most foreign assistance to South Africa, implementing a controversial executive order issued by President Donald Trump.

According to a cable obtained by The Guardian, the directive enforces Executive Order 14204, which targets what the administration calls South Africa’s "egregious actions."

Signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the cable directs all State Department entities to suspend aid disbursements with limited exceptions. "To effectively implement EO 14204, all bureaus, offices, and missions shall pause all obligations and/or dispersion of aid or assistance to South Africa," the document states.

The suspension follows Trump’s February 7 order, part of a broader reassessment of US foreign aid. The executive order specifically cites "unjust racial discrimination" against white Afrikaners—descendants of Dutch settlers who implemented the apartheid regime, which denied basic rights to the Black majority until 1994.

Observers link the administration’s stance to South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, who has repeatedly condemned his homeland for alleged "openly racist policies" and is widely believed to have influenced the White House’s position.

According to The Guardian, white South Africans, though only 7% of the population, still control a disproportionate share of the country’s wealth and land.

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Rubio has delegated authority over aid exemptions to Pete Marocco, a Trump loyalist who previously oversaw major cuts to foreign aid programs at USAID and the State Department. The guidance in the cable stresses a "very high bar" for exceptions, with only the US global HIV/AIDS program, PEPFAR, continuing without additional review.

All other assistance programs, including those previously exempted under a January foreign aid pause, now require special approval.

Punished for land policy, taking 'Israel' to court

The aid freeze is the latest in a series of diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Relations soured after Trump accused South Africa of using its land reform policies to discriminate against white citizens—an allegation President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed as misinformation.

The land bill in question allows for government acquisition of private property without compensation under certain circumstances, though proponents argue such seizures would be rare and subject to judicial review.

Further straining ties, Trump has criticized South Africa’s leadership in the genocide case against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). His administration also offered refugee status to wealthy white Afrikaners seeking relocation to the United States, provoking backlash from Pretoria.

The aid suspension coincides with South Africa’s efforts to renegotiate trade relations with Washington amid concerns over the potential end of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has enabled billions in duty-free exports to the US.

Additionally, South Africa acknowledged on Thursday the US withdrawal from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), which had funded climate projects before Trump revoked international climate finance initiatives. The US decision marks a significant shift in bilateral relations, as both countries navigate growing political and economic friction.

Read more: South African president rejects Trump’s threat: We will not be bullied