ANC stalwart, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says United States President Donald Trump’s narrative of a white genocide in South Africa is not ignorance but deliberate misinformation.
reported that during a high-stakes meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday night, Trump said he has received many complaints about the treatment of Afrikaners in South Africa, insisting that many were being brutally murdered and their land taken away.
“We have many people who feel they are being persecuted and they are coming to the United States. We take from many locations and if we feel there is persecution or genocide going on,” he said.
“We have had a tremendous number of people, especially since they have seen this, generally they are white farmers and they are fleeing South Africa. It is a very sad thing to see. I hope we can have an explanation of that … it is a different kind of meeting and we will talk about that.”
Get your news on the go, click here to join the News WhatsApp channel.
On Friday, Dlamini-Zuma a former African Union Commission chairperson told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that the assertions of genocide are unfounded.
“I don’t think it is a level of ignorance, I think it is misinformation, deliberate misinformation. There is no genocide in South Africa to start with, there is crime.
“If you look at the statistics, it is the black people who die more, every time the statistics are given. There is no time where you can say, in this quota more white people died than black people. It is not like that. For me, I just get perplexed when people say things that are so obviously untrue.
“Yes, there are white people who get murdered on farms – even that, it is not everyday. It is something that happens, which we don’t like … but there is no white genocide, full stop,” said the former Cabinet minister.
On Thursday night, the Presidency announced that Ramaphosa has concluded a “successful” working visit to the United States at the invitation of Trump.
“The visit was aimed at resetting and revitalizing bilateral relations between South Africa and the United States of America. The visit focused on addressing issues that have been a source of diplomatic tensions over the recent months and reframing bilateral economic and trade relations,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.
“Both leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral trade ties, increase investments for mutual benefit and forge collaboration in technological exchanges. President Ramaphosa welcomed the expected commencement of trade talks between South Africa and the United States through their respective trade negotiations teams.
Ramaphosa’s delegation comprised of Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola; Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni; Minister of Trade Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, and Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen.
Ramaphosa was also supported by eminent South Africans, from business and labour, including Johan Rupert, founder of Richemont and chairman of Remgro; Adrian Gore, vice president of Business Unity South Africa and Discovery CEO; Zingiswa Losi, president of Cosatu; Ernie Els, a South African professional golfer and Retief Goosen, another South African professional golfer.
News
