What’s going on in Trump’s relationship with South Africa? | The Global Story

For two decades, PEPFAR, the US program to curb Aids/HIV, enjoyed support and financial backing from both Republicans and Democrats, saving an estimated 26 million lives in what is described as the largest ever commitment by any nation to address a single disease.

Previous presidents – including Donald Trump in his first term – continued to praise and support the effort. But last week, the State Department announced that it would be ending its support for PEPFAR in South Africa. The UN has warned the decision could end up costing lives.

US officials told the BBC that the funding cut was in part a response to South Africa’s alleged failure to protect the white-minority Afrikaner community, an accusation Pretoria rejects.

Asma speaks to the BBC’s Senior Africa Producer Ed Habershon about what drove this decision and what the impact could be.

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Chapters:

01:40 What is PEPFAR?
02:45 Has it saved many lives?
03:22 Why has PEPFAR been cut?
05:15 What’s been the impact of Trump’s cuts to the foreign aid?
13:05 What does this all have to do with white farmers in South Africa?
16:16 Is there a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa?
17:34 What happened when the South African president visited the White House?
20:00 Is the PEPFAR cut political?
21:38 What is the South African government doing about it?
25:13 What is the global impact?