Tensions between South Africa and the US escalate as ANC Chair Gwede Mantashe reaffirms the nation’s sovereignty in light of criticisms regarding land reform laws.
South Africa Asserts Sovereignty Amid Rising US Tensions
South Africa Asserts Sovereignty Amid Rising US Tensions
ANC Chair Gwede Mantashe defends South Africa's land expropriation law and national sovereignty amid criticism from President Trump.
Article Text:
In a robust defense of South Africa's sovereignty, ANC National Chair Gwede Mantashe addressed rising tensions with the United States, particularly concerning the country’s controversial land expropriation law. “We are a free country, we’re a sovereign country. We’re not a province of the United States, and that sovereignty will be defended,” Mantashe asserted during celebrations for Freedom Day in Mpumalanga.
US President Donald Trump has criticized South Africa's new law, suggesting it offers a means for the government to expropriate agricultural property from ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation. In contrast, President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasized that the law aims to provide public access to land in an equitable manner.
Despite only permitting expropriation without compensation under specific conditions, the law has drawn international scrutiny and accusations of racial discrimination. Trump has additionally introduced an executive order that potentially allows Afrikaans citizens facing discrimination to apply for refugee status in the US.
Responding to calls from certain South Africans for punitive actions against their own country stemming from these tensions, Mantashe dismissed the notion as he urged those inclined to seek asylum in the US to follow through with their intentions, remarking, “Now they are told to go there and be refugees, they are refusing. They must go.”
Furthermore, the social media discourse has been heated, notably with public figures like Elon Musk criticizing South Africa’s land ownership regulations as discriminatory. In light of these ongoing tensions, South Africa has appointed a special envoy to the US, Mcebisi Jonas, whose role will focus on advancing diplomatic and trade objectives following the expulsion of South Africa's ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, over comments related to Trump's political rhetoric.
In a robust defense of South Africa's sovereignty, ANC National Chair Gwede Mantashe addressed rising tensions with the United States, particularly concerning the country’s controversial land expropriation law. “We are a free country, we’re a sovereign country. We’re not a province of the United States, and that sovereignty will be defended,” Mantashe asserted during celebrations for Freedom Day in Mpumalanga.
US President Donald Trump has criticized South Africa's new law, suggesting it offers a means for the government to expropriate agricultural property from ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation. In contrast, President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasized that the law aims to provide public access to land in an equitable manner.
Despite only permitting expropriation without compensation under specific conditions, the law has drawn international scrutiny and accusations of racial discrimination. Trump has additionally introduced an executive order that potentially allows Afrikaans citizens facing discrimination to apply for refugee status in the US.
Responding to calls from certain South Africans for punitive actions against their own country stemming from these tensions, Mantashe dismissed the notion as he urged those inclined to seek asylum in the US to follow through with their intentions, remarking, “Now they are told to go there and be refugees, they are refusing. They must go.”
Furthermore, the social media discourse has been heated, notably with public figures like Elon Musk criticizing South Africa’s land ownership regulations as discriminatory. In light of these ongoing tensions, South Africa has appointed a special envoy to the US, Mcebisi Jonas, whose role will focus on advancing diplomatic and trade objectives following the expulsion of South Africa's ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, over comments related to Trump's political rhetoric.
