US Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo Says South African Land Seizures Would Be ‘Disastrous’

The South African government’s plans to expropriate land without compensation would be disastrous for the economy, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

The policy proposal is an example of centralised planning that has failed in other African states like Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Ethiopia, Pompeo told reporters on Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

“South Africa is debating an amendment to permit the expropriation of private property without compensation,” he said. “That would be disastrous for that economy, and most importantly for the South African people.”

African economies need “strong rule of law, respect for property rights, regulation that encourages investment” for inclusive and sustainable economic growth, Pompeo said.

America’s top diplomat on Wednesday asserted that South Africa’s plan to allow expropriation of private property without compensation would be “disastrous” for the country’s economy and its people.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the comments in an address in