Diplomatic tensions between Pretoria and Washington are at an all time high after US President Donald Trump pulled the plug on USAID funding for South Africa's HIV programmes, while also issuing harsh executive orders against SA over the expropriation act.
Image: SihleMlambo/IOL
The South African government in Pretoria has hit back at US President Donald Trump and his executive orders which were issued on Friday, slamming Washington for being engaged in a “campaign of misinformation and propaganda”.
On Friday, Trump summarily pulled the plug on South Africa’s over $400 million funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and also offered white Afrikaner South Africans refugee status in the US after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act into law in January.
Trump issued an order for the prioritisation of white Afrikaner South Africans through the United States refugee programme, accusing Pretoria of discriminating against Afrikaners through the newly signed Land Expropriation Act.
Trump’s late-night orders accused Pretoria of “egregious actions” without providing any evidence, saying the recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 (Act) would seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation. The order will essentially offer the so-called discriminated Afrikaners an opportunity to have a new home in the US.
Of course, the policy is clear that it would only expropriate barren and unused land, not productive property which helps the country produce food and other means.
However, tensions between Pretoria and Washington have been simmering for some time, with diplomatic tensions escalating since the Ukraine and Russia war, while there were also tensions further fuelled by Pretoria taking Israel to the International Criminal Court for the genocidal bombardment of Gaza by the US ally, Israel.
The diplomatic tensions have also been fuelled by South Africa seemingly strenghtening ties with its BRICS partners, who include China, Russia and Iran.
In a statement on Saturday, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said Pretoria noted the executive orders issued by Trump.
“It is of great concern that the foundational premise of this order lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize South Africa's profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid.
“We are concerned by what seems to be a campaign of misinformation and propaganda aimed at misrepresenting our great nation. It is disappointing to observe that such narratives seem to have found favour among decision-makers in the United States of America.
“It is ironic that the executive order makes provision for refugee status in the US for a group in South Africa that remains amongst the most economically privileged, while vulnerable people in the US from other parts of the world are being deported and denied asylum despite real hardship.
“We reiterate that South Africa remains committed to finding diplomatic solutions to any misunderstandings or disputes,” said Lamola.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that he would be sending a delegation of government and other sectoral leaders, to explain the work of South Africa and what the country stood for, to explain the country’s position, to various capitals around the world, like Washington, and on the African continent.
“The work we do and what we stand for needs to be explained to many key players, especially to our trading partners and the many countries and leaders we interact with on the global stage.
“With a view to explaining the many positions that we have taken and in particular the objectives we wish to achieve during our Presidency of the G20, I have decided to send a delegation of government and other leaders to various capitals on our continent and across the world. This delegation will interact with various key players on a variety of matters that affect South Africa’s interests,” said Ramaphosa.
He reiterated during SONA that Pretoria was committed to “a nation that is at peace with the world”.
“We continue through our international relations to advance the well-being of the South African people as we seek to advance the well-being of humanity. We will work to strengthen our trade relations around the world and to leverage our strong and diverse global alliances to make our economy more resilient.
“The key pillars of our foreign policy remain the promotion of human rights, peace and friendship and the strengthening of fair trade and investment ties with other countries. These are the principles that guide our Presidency of the G20 this year. We have chosen the theme of solidarity, equality and sustainable development to underscore the need for cooperation and partnership among the countries of the world,” said the president.
Meanwhile, Trump and his administration believe some of Pretoria’s policies are designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and accuse South Africa of hateful rhetoric against “racially disfavored landowners”.
“The United States cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country or its ‘undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests,” read the Order.
“It is the policy of the United States that, as long as South Africa continues these unjust and immoral practices that harm our Nation:
(a) the United States shall not provide aid or assistance to South Africa; and
(b) the United States shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.”
IOL