US ends funding for South Africa's HIV programmes, citing Afrikaner persecution claims
The United States has announced it will stop funding HIV/AIDS programmes in South Africa, linking the decision to alleged failure to protect the white Afrikaner minority. South Africa's health ministry says it was not informed and has been working on a self-reliance plan.
The US government has announced it will end funding for HIV and AIDS programmes in South Africa, citing the South African government's alleged failure to protect the white Afrikaner minority. The funding was provided through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar), which had been contributing an estimated $400 million (£300 million) annually—roughly a fifth of South Africa's total spending on HIV programmes.
South Africa's health ministry responded by stating it had not been officially informed of the decision, but noted it had long been developing a self-reliance plan. The ministry also emphasized that life-saving antiretroviral drugs are funded entirely separately, with most coming from the government budget.
Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since President Donald Trump took office. Trump issued an executive order alleging that South African policies "dismantled equal opportunities" and fueled violence "against racially disfavored landowners." The South African government disputes this, arguing that its Black Economic Empowerment policy is necessary to correct inequalities from the apartheid era.
Trump has also falsely claimed there is a "white genocide" occurring in South Africa, leading his administration to create a refugee programme for Afrikaners—descendants of 17th-century European settlers. They are now virtually the only refugees allowed into the US.
A US State Department official confirmed that a "phased drawdown" of Pepfar funding would begin, citing South Africa's failure to make "demonstrable progress" on policy requests. The official said the goal is to foster self-reliance and reduce dependency on US aid, adding that South Africa is a middle-income country capable of funding its own health programmes.
