President Cyril Ramaphosa has denounced US President Donald Trump’s claims of ‘race-based discrimination’ against Afrikaners in South Africa, calling the assertion “devoid of all truth.”
This follows Trump’s latest executive order to cut aid to South Africa.
On Friday (7 February), the White House announced its decision, citing dissatisfaction with South Africa’s land policy and its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
The order also included plans to resettle Afrikaner farmers in the US as refugees.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast, Professor Patrick Bond from the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Sociology weighed in on the growing tensions between the two nations.
“The chaos in SA-US relations has never been this intense. Even during the days when sanctions were imposed on the Apartheid regime, there was always a level of civility. Now, it has become so bad that we are going to see tariffs imposed on South African steel and aluminium, which will significantly affect the competitiveness of South African exports.”
Bond further stressed the importance of not allowing South Africa to appear as a victim of Trump’s actions:
“It really is important now not to act wounded and as an individual victim of Trump but rather reflect on how unreasonable he is. We need international consequences, such as kicking the US out of the G20, perhaps out of the UN as well. They are already walking out of the UN’s most important body, the World Health Organization. I think this is a critical turning point for South Africa.”
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
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