Johannesburg – Former US President Donald Trump has once again ignited a diplomatic firestorm between South Africa and the United States, repeating unfounded claims about the confiscation of farms on his social media platform. His remarks have not only strained relations between Pretoria and Washington but also raised concerns about potential economic repercussions for South Africa.
"South Africa is being terrible, plus, to long time farmers in the country. They are confiscating their LAND and FARMS, and MUCH WORSE THAN THAT," Trump posted on his ironically titled Truth Social platform on Friday. "A bad place to be right now, and we are stopping all Federal Funding. To go a step further, any Farmer [with family!] from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to Citizenship. This process will begin immediately!"
This latest outburst follows a pattern of misinformation and interference in South African affairs, apparently fuelled by right-wing disinformation. Last month, Trump issued an executive order against South Africa, offering refugee status to Afrikaners based on similar false claims.
The order, titled "Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa," echoes concerns about expropriation without compensation and racial discrimination that the Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum has been pushing in the US and locally for years.
In response to Trump's latest remarks, President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, stated, "We are not going to partake in counterproductive megaphone diplomacy. We remain committed to build a mutually beneficial political, trade and diplomatic relationship with the United States, in particular the Trump administration." He added that this relationship must be built on respect for South Africa's independence and sovereignty.
While the government has taken a measured approach, the implications of Trump's actions are far-reaching. The potential loss of federal funding and the threat to South Africa's eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) could have devastating consequences for the country's economy.
AgriSA CEO Johann Kotzé expressed his dismay at the negative portrayal of South African agriculture. "AgriSA stands for a country of hope, for a country with a future that we inclusively build together," he said. Kotzé added he did not experience the fear the Trump post invoked by suggesting farmers needed to flee, which also suggested there was no hope.
He acknowledged that some farmers might be tempted by Trump's offer but emphasised that many remain positive about South Africa. "This is our country. We feel strongly that it must work," adding they did not see land confiscations. AgriSA is, however, opposed to the Expropriation Act.
Ramaphosa's enactment of this legislation, which allows the expropriation of land without compensation under certain circumstances, appears to be what set Trump off on his lies about land being confiscated in South Africa. It is also one of the laws against which Solidarity and AfriForum lobbied in the US, along with the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act. They returned from their sojourn on Friday.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said in a video message posted on X from their interactions with role players from the US Congress, White House, think tanks, and the State Department, it was clear there was a "determination" to implement punitive measures against South Africa. Kriel added a solution to the diplomatic strife could be if the government stopped what AfriForum considered "discrimination against Afrikaners" and if the government reconsidered its "anti-western international policy".
The ANC's alliance partner, trade union federation Cosatu, railed against AfriForum on Friday.
Cosatu parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks said in a statement they did not "normally want to give airtime to fringe juvenile lunatics, let alone those inebriated with racism and fake news, however an exception needs to be made for AfriForum's acts of buffoonery due to the very real pain we believe they have caused and will further inflict upon millions of South Africans, black and white".
"AfriForum has for many years deluded itself into believing it is a civil rights movement, it is not. It has equally misled many, in particular our counterparts in the United States of America, into believing it speaks on behalf of Afrikaners and Afrikaans speakers, again it does not.
"Cosatu and other sober South Africans have been heartened by the overwhelming rejection of AfriForum's stream of fact-free hysteria, in particular by members of the Afrikaans community, including ordinary citizens, church, business, agriculture, civil society, media and political party leaders.
"Indeed, this sense of unity and resolute commitment to our democratic dispensation and the non-racial values and prescripts of our Constitution is a sign that South Africa's future is in safe hands."
Parks said their "tomfoolery" had real consequences.
He said: "The lives of over half of million HIV/Aids positive South Africans are now in serious danger, as are the jobs of over 15 000 community health workers who have been left with no salaries."
"Half a million jobs in the agricultural, mining, motor manufacturing, clothing, chemicals and jewellery sectors may now be in jeopardy with a possible AGOA removal. Thousands of tourism jobs too may be at risk. These are painful blows that South Africa with our very many deep-seated socioeconomic challenges can ill afford."
The situation remains tense, with the South African government attempting to navigate a complex diplomatic landscape while facing the potential for significant economic damage. The actions of a former US president, fuelled by misinformation, continue to cast a long shadow over the relationship between the two countries.
