In recent weeks, the announcement of cuts to USAID funding has sent shock waves through South Africa, particularly affecting vital healthcare programmes.

As the new US administration implements a 90-day funding pause, many South Africans are left grappling with the implications of this abrupt shift.

HIV treatment programmes may qualify for limited waivers, but preventive measures, crucial for many, are not guaranteed. This situation is not just a matter of funding; it’s about lives, trust, and the future of healthcare in our communities, say the experts.

The immediate consequences of funding cuts

Healthcare institutions funded by PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) have already begun to feel the brunt of these cuts. It is reported that clinics such as the Wits Reproductive Health Institute and Anova Health Institute’s Ivan Toms Centre have had to temporarily shut their doors, leaving patients without essential care.

Some fear that the many years it has taken to build trust in communities with new programmes, could now be eroded.

South Africans have taken to social media to express their outrage, concern and at times, defiance. Tweets and posts reflect a mix of frustration, fear, “we don’t need them’ attitude and a call for accountability.

USA SUSPENDS FOREIGN AID
The current situation is extremely serious and many individuals are already impacted. A friend is employed by an NGO focusing on HIV/AIDS & provision of ARV’s. USA said there’s no more funding. They normally get R55m pa. 508 employees had to lose jobs. pic.twitter.com/yKPz6so6P3
— Mthandeni Nene (@MthandeniNene) January 29, 2025

The real-life implications are being felt acutely. One user responded to a viral TikTok on the matter: “My mom is a nurse in a clinic in Gugulethu CPT. Today was day 1 without a counsellor because there are no funds to pay them anymore. Ey bethuna kuzoshuba (it will still get bad) and it's the poor that will suffer most.”

@pontsho_pilane Replying to @Tasha M🧿 ♬ original sound - Pontsho Pilane

Commenting in the same video one user, @Ts-legend, pointed out: “Perfect opportunity for our government to take accountability and stop relying on foreign aid.”

Conversely, others argue that the cuts to USAID funding expose the fragility of South Africa’s reliance on foreign aid.

As one user noted: “The freezing of USAID funding is scary, especially since the South African government has implemented budget cuts across Health Departments for at least 10 years.”

This highlights an ongoing issue: the lack of sustainable funding and investment in local health infrastructure.

@newsnexussa #southafricatiktok🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦 #newsnexussa #incaseyoumissedit #newsstories @Penuel The Black Pen ♬ original sound - NewsNexusOfficial

The conversation surrounding these funding cuts also raised questions about South Africa’s dependency on foreign aid.

Influential voices in the public sphere, such as South African podcaster @Penuel The Black Pen, on the News Nexus Offical TikTok site, argue that the government must take a stand and seek support from other BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China — if US funding is no longer available. “If America is pulling out, we should turn to BRICS for support,” he stated in the recent TikTok..

Another user @GeeWhizz lashed out at the SA government saying: “It’s time for our SA government to stop stealing the funds we should be spending on our own issues!”

I think what makes the freezing of USAID, PEPFAR funding scarier for me, however small the %, is that the South African govt has been implementing budget cuts across Departments of Health for at least 10 years. Austerity plus aid being frozen can only lead to very morbid outcomes
— Words & All (@MissNannyJay) January 29, 2025

For many South Africans, the cuts to funding “are not just a crisis; they are an opportunity for the government to step up”. One user suggested, commenting in the TikTok, said, “Stop complaining and show your African power against colonialism.”

Unfortunately those south Africans who dependent on receiving free AIDS medication from W.H.O & US humanitarian foundations will no longer receive that services Because the US have pull out of W.H O & therefore al US funding has dry up💵 Don't blame Trump? Blame Cyril & W.H.O👿![CDATA[]]>🚮
— judge and jury (@JUDGEJUSTIN777) January 29, 2025

Another netizen, blouthepitbull, said: “We have unemployed pharmacists and chemical engineer we have factories let them go make the ARVs in a warehouse.”

@KayGeorgeMolepo, wrote: “The US can keep their foreign funding. Foreign funding is one of the ways our sovereignty is infringed upon by other countries. South Africa is not a poor country. We just need to manage our resources better.”

@AuthurMbomela wrote: “ If Berkina Faso can be self dependent not even owning IMF then we can also do it and stop taking handouts ...nut ke we have corrupt ANC”

Another user wrote on X: “Y’all have to respect Trump for putting his people first. Its not personal at all. It’s time we hold our government accountable.

“Where is Ramaphosa. We are awaiting for his response as a country since he Mostsoaledi is not giving us any clarity,” wrote Elele@Mpembe.