The United States has decided to cut its $400 million yearly contribution to South Africa’s fight against HIV and AIDS through the U.S. President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Washington says the withdrawal follows Pretoria’s failure to protect the white‑minority Afrikaner community, a claim that has been met with skepticism both locally and internationally.
South Africa’s health ministry, which had not been notified of the decision, confirmed that it has already been pursuing a self‑reliance plan. The ministry notes that life‑saving antiretroviral drugs have always been financed largely by the South African government, with PEPFAR playing a supplementary role.
Under former President Trump, U.S.–South Africa relations deteriorated after the former U.S. president issued an executive order blaming Pretoria’s policies for fueling violence against racially disfavoured landowners and asserting a “white genocide” scenario. The order also prompted the U.S. to boycott the G20 meeting hosted by South Africa in November.
Deputy White House officials confirmed that a phased drawdown of PEPFAR funding would commence “because of South Africa’s failure to make demonstrable progress on policy requests by the administration.” The intent, officials said, was to foster self‑reliance in a country that is a middle‑income economy.
Despite the cut, the Biden administration has kept the conversation open, stating that efforts to rebuild ties may still be possible once South Africa shows measurable policy improvements and a stronger commitment to protecting all social groups, including Afrikaners.
