By Amy Musgrave
Despite an offer of resettlement by US President Donald Trump, members of the Solidarity Movement said on Saturday they wanted to remain in South Africa.
This follows Trump issuing an order to stop funding to South Africa over what he believes is race-based politics, especially concerning the new land expropriation law.
The Solidarity Movement, which comprises civil rights group AfriForum and trade union Solidarity, called a press conference following South Africans waking up to the news that Trump had issued the executive order.
Earlier in the day, the South African government said it had taken note of Trump’s order, saying it “is of great concern that the foundational premise of this order lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognise South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid”.
The Solidarity Movement was quick to emphasise that it did not know about Trump’s order. Its relationship with the government is more tense than usual because of the Expropriation Act and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act.
Solidarity Movement chairman Flip Buys said that it had not accused the government of large-scale race-based land grabs, nor did it distribute false information in this regard. Neither had it asked that funds for vulnerable South Africans be cut off.
“We explicitly asked senior US officials not to kick South Africa out of the Agoa (African Growth and Opportunity Act) because of the suffering it will cause to farmers and their workers, and the livelihoods of workers in the motor and chemical industries,” he said in a statement.
“The order of Mr Trump is the result of reckless policies of the ANC leadership that alienates a superpower, and not a so-called disinformation campaign from our side.
“It is furthermore a product of years of diplomatic neglect by South African diplomats in our engagements with the US at many different forums and on a wide range of issues.”
Buys said the movement did not believe it was in the interest of South Africa if there was a deterioration in the relationship with the US.
He said they wanted to build a future in South Africa and have minimum living conditions.
“If the international community helps us create an environment where Afrikaners can sustainably remain in South Africa, we can make a lasting contribution to the well-being of the country and all its people.”
The Ministry of International Relations of Cooperation reiterated that it was concerned by what seemed to be a campaign of misinformation and propaganda aimed at misrepresenting the country.
“It is disappointing to observe that such narratives seem to have found favour among decision-makers in the United States of America,” it said in a statement.
“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.”
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters has also condemned the order, describing it as “frantic and irrational”.
“The USA, under the leadership of Donald Trump is progressively isolating the world by imposing tariffs and sanctions on nations who refuse to bow to their authority and imperialist actions, and will soon dwindle into insignificance because no one will have an interest in trading or relating to them as a nation,” said EFF spokesperson Thembi Msane.
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