In response to President Donald Trump’s recent social media post threatening punitive measures against South Africa, AfriForum, a civil rights organisation, has requested that the US government target senior ANC leaders directly instead of imposing sanctions on the country.
AfriForum’s CEO, Kallie Kriel, emphasized that the organisation has already warned President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC about the potential consequences of signing the Expropriation Act and enforcing existing racial laws, which could severely impact investor confidence in South Africa.
Trump’s social media post stated that South Africa is “confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY” and announced that the US would cut off future funding to South Africa until a full investigation is completed.
Kriel expressed concerns about the potential effects of Trump’s punitive measures on ordinary South African citizens, who are already struggling under economic pressure. AfriForum’s position is that the government and president should be held accountable for their policies, rather than the citizens.
In addition to its request to the US government, AfriForum will also urge the South African government to table an amendment to the Expropriation Act to protect property rights in the country.
