President Cyril Ramaphosa has refused to send an envoy to counter AfriForum’s misinformation campaign regarding the Expropriation Act despite labelling the minority lobby group’s actions as “unpatriotic.” However, he reiterated the significance of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and South Africa’s strategic partnership with the United States, particularly in a time of diplomatic tension between the two nations.
Honorary Professor of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, Professor John Stremlau, noted that the U.S. administration has yet to make key diplomatic appointments for Africa, leaving South Africa without a direct envoy to engage with Washington on this issue.
“But Africa is a subsidiary issue. South Africa stands out like a sore thumb. This is because, in the Trump/Musk administration, there are a lot of South Africans born under Apartheid who are high up in the Trump administration; they have his ear, and it is a receptive ear. The AfriForum and Solidarity groups lobbying the White House know they have a receptive audience.”
He further noted that these groups depict South Africa’s policies including, expropriation, diversity, equity, inclusion, and climate change initiatives as detrimental, a characterisation he dismissed as “crazy.”
Despite this, Stremlau acknowledged that these actions are inadvertently clarifying for Americans the true nature of South Africa’s government and policies. The ongoing discourse highlights the ideological divide between South Africa’s leadership and certain influential figures within the U.S. administration.
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: X/ @PresidencyZA
