SA should not play into Trump’s hands this time - IOL
President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump engaging on Afrikaner genocide misinformation during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington DC, last year. As US political tensions intensify, South Africa faces renewed pressure from the Trump administration. South Africa should respond firmly while avoiding engagement that perpetuates propaganda, says the writer.
As the United States approaches the November midterm elections, escalating geopolitical tensions are said to be heavily shaping the domestic political landscape. Foreign affairs, including some complex and polarising global issues such as the Israel-US conflict against Iran, are directly driving the election strategies of the main contenders – and vice versa. Unfortunately, for the smaller and weaker nations of the world situated outside America’s inner circle, all this results in real and damaging consequences.
What is making matters worse for nations like South Africa that are on US President Donald Trump’s crosshairs, is that his beleaguered Republican Party is facing some serious headwinds in the run-up to November. Some analysts and commentators therefore were not surprised by the latest salvo by Trump’s administration against those responsible for “race-based” policies and the alleged persecution of Afrikaners. Indeed, some have described the targeted punitive visa restrictions announced this week as a direct response to the 18th BRICS Summit held in India in which South Africa played a key role among the 11 nations that now make up the growing bloc currently representing about half the globe’s population.
The claims of persecution or discrimination against Afrikaners and rampant farm killings have been correctly rejected by our government as misinformation, disinformation or propaganda peddled by fringe right-wing actors who do not have South Africa’s interests at heart and care less about global peace and harmony. Unfortunately for South Africa, Trump and those around him do not care. The baseless claims are working for them as they desperately search for votes at all costs.
South Africa is a constitutional democracy. Policies such as the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and land expropriation laws allowing "nil" compensation can never be implemented if they do not meet constitutional muster. The courts and other channels are there for anyone to approach with appeals for amendment or complete striking down. Our courts have also given clear guidance on controversial issues such as the “kill the boer” chant or song.
How then should South Africa respond to such unfair politically motivated attacks by the Trump administration?
Whatever it does, it must stay on the right side of history and the truth. And, this time, President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet must be careful not to play right into Trump’s hands as they did in May last year. Engaging such demagogic schemers on their turf pulls one into the fake news, misinformation and disinformation arena that is a central part of their reckless playbook. It gives their propaganda and schemes the oxygen they do not deserve.
