South African President Defends ‘Kill The Boer' Chant, Says He Will Not Arrest EFF Leaders
Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger discuss South African President Ramaphosa defending "Kill the Boer" as a liberation chant and says he won't arrest anyone over it.
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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump's America is not the America I know and love
A child celebrates Independence Day | Getty Images Creative Autocrats and authoritarians share certain traits. They don't recognize checks and balances nor the institutions tasked with imposing them. They do not recognize the rule of law. Laws that do not suit simply do not apply. So, a country's governing documents such as a constitution are malleable. Truth is what they say it is, facts be damned. Critics who challenge this – journalists and the organizations they work for, law firms, universities, disagreeable judges, artists, etc. – are in for punishment and derision. They are cast as unelected elites, liars and betrayers of the country's ideals, the better to silence or mute their influence. But perhaps most importantly, autocrats and authoritarians must identify enemies for the rest of us to hate. Anyone who's not part of their tribe, ideologically, ethnically, racially, by gender or sexual orientation is a target. If they speak another language, all the better. President Donald Trump has focused for years on targeting immigrants. Trump himself is a descendant of white immigrants and is married to one, but that's where he makes an exception. He has accepted white South Africans as refugees while dismantling protections for people from countries he once described as sh–holes. Which is to say, refugees who aren't white. He claims white South African refugees are the victims of extreme violence. As descendants of apartheid adherents, they are members of a group that has retained its privilege in South Africa. They are certainly not victims of genocide, as Trump claims. The data shows that they are less likely to be the victims of violence than Black South Africans. Trump's executive order to enshrine English as the country's official language – America for English-speaking Americans only – is another example of whites-only tribalism. Long ago, the languages of European immigrants like Trump's forebears were thought to delay assimilation and demonstrate traitorous loyalty to other countries. But these days, the fear is rooted around Spanish of the Latin American variety and the languages of immigrants from Asia and Africa. Around the globe, people in other countries think a populace fluent in many languages is an advantage, not a deficiency. But Trump's American is one of proud provincialism. In any case, immigrants already recognize English as the indispensable language of commerce and success in this country. Ask any child of immigrants. My parents desired that I master written and spoken English, though the price was less literacy in their native language – Spanish. My proficiency in English brought my parents the most pride. Now, for many people, speaking perfect English is a matter of safety. Trump is deporting immigrants of color under an assumption they are members of criminal gangs. But in many cases there is plenty of evidence that those charges are misplaced, and people are being deported without due process. Trump is carelessly rounding people up and sending them to a hellhole prison in El Salvador and to other countries he would assuredly describe as sh—holes — even to a dysfunctional non-country such as Libya, in the midst of a civil war, without giving them time to respond to the charges against them. He has long labeled immigrants as terrorists, although there is little discernible link between immigrants and terrorism. Under his broad definition, importing drugs to satisfy Americans' appetites for illicit substances is a terrorist threat, not a public health issue. Even when the administration is forced to admit error in deporting people who have a legal right to be here, it is not returning them. See, Abrego Garcia, mistakenly deported to a notorious El Salvadoran prison. Like many citizens of color, I've become hardened to Trump's racist animus. We've been cast as job stealers, criminals and a threat to American culture. This is the same animus that made the civil rights movement necessary. Not so long ago, we thought the pendulum had swung to a more equitable, inclusive country. But then more than 77 million Americans voted for Trump for the purpose of making America great again. A country led by an authoritarian leader who thumbs his nose at the rule of law is not the America I know. And it certainly isn't great. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Unpacking the South African land law that so inflames Trump
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is at the centre of a political firestorm after he approved a law that gives the state the power to expropriate some privately owned land without compensation for owners. The law, which is yet to be implemented, has drawn the ire of US President Donald Trump, who sees it as discriminating against white farmers. Centre-right political parties and lobby groups in South Africa have also opposed it, saying they will challenge the Expropriation Act – as the law is named – in court on the grounds that it threatens property rights. Ramaphosa's government says the law provides for compensation to be paid in the vast majority of cases – and the changes are needed to increase black ownership of land. Most private farmland is still owned by white people. When Nelson Mandela came to power more than 30 years ago, ending the racist system of apartheid, it was promised that this would be rectified through a willing-buyer, willing-seller land reform programme – but critics say this has proved too slow and too costly. In rare circumstances it would be land that was needed for the "public interest", legal experts told the BBC. According to South African law firm Werksmans Attorneys, this suggested it would mainly, or perhaps only, happen in relation to the land reform programme. Although it could also be used to access natural resources such as minerals and water, the firm added, in an opinion written by its experts in the field, Bulelwa Mabasa and Thomas Karberg. Mabasa and Karberg told the BBC that in their view, productive agricultural land could not be expropriated without compensation. They said any expropriation without compensation – known as EWC – could take place only in a few circumstances: For example, when an owner was not using the land and was holding it for "speculative purposes" Or when an owner "abandoned the land by failing to exercise control over it despite being reasonably capable of doing so". Owners would probably still get compensation for the buildings on the land and for the natural resources, the lawyers said. Mabasa and Karberg added that EWC was "not aimed at rural land or farmland specifically, and could include land in urban areas". However, in cases where compensation is paid, the rules are set to change, with owners likely to get less money. The plan is for owners to receive "just-and-equitable" compensation – a departure from the higher "market value" they have been getting up to now, Mabasa and Karberg said. The government had been paying market-value compensation despite the fact that this was "at odds" with the constitution, adopted after white-minority rule ended in 1994, they added. The lawyers said that all expropriations had "extensive procedural fairness requirements", including the owner's right to go to court if they were not happy. The move away from market-value compensation will also apply to land expropriated for a "public purpose" – like building state schools or railways. This has not been a major point of controversy, possibly because it is "hardly a novel concept" – a point made by JURISTnews, a legal website run by law students from around the world. "The US Constitution, for instance, provides that the government can seize private property for public use so long as 'just compensation' is provided," it added. The government hopes so. University of Western Cape land expert Prof Ruth Hall told the BBC that more than 80,000 land claims remain unsettled. In the eastern regions of South Africa, many black people work on farms for free – in exchange they are allowed to live there and keep their livestock on a portion of the owners' land, she said. The government wants to transfer ownership of this land to the workers, and it was "unfair" to expect it to pay the market value, Prof Hall added. Over the last three decades, the government has used existing powers to expropriate property–- with less than market-value compensation – in fewer than 20 cases, she said. The new law was aimed at making it easier and cheaper to restore land to black people who were "dispossessed" of it during white-minority rule or were forced to be "long-term tenants" as they could not own land, Prof Hall added. "It's a bargaining chip," she said. But she doubts that the government will press ahead with implementing the law in the foreseeable future as the "political cost" has become too high. The academic was referring to the fact that Trump has opposed the law, saying it discriminates against white farmers and their land was being "seized" – a charge the government denies. In February, Trump cut aid to South Africa, and in April he announced a 30% tariff on South African goods and agricultural products, although this was later paused for 90 days. This was followed by last month's infamous Oval Office showdown when Trump ambushed Ramaphosa with a video and printouts of stories alleging white people were being persecuted – much of his dossier has been discredited. Fact-checking Trump's Oval Office confrontation with Ramaphosa Like Trump, the second-biggest party in Ramaphosa's coalition government, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is opposed to the legislation. In a statement on 26 May, the party said that its top leadership body had rejected the notion of "nil compensation". However, it has agreed with the concept of just-and-equitable compensation rather than market-value compensation, adding it should be "adjudicated by a court of law". Surprisingly, Jaco Kleynhans of the Solidarity Movement, an influential Afrikaner lobby group, said that while the new law could "destroy" some businesses and he was opposed to it, he did not believe it would lead to the "large-scale expropriation of farmland". "I don't see within the wording of this text that that will happen," he said in a recent panel discussion at an agricultural exhibition held in South Africa's Free State province – where a large number of conservative Afrikaner farmers live. The South African Property Owners Association said it was "irrational" to give "nil compensation" to an owner who held land for speculative purposes. "There are many landowners whose sole purpose of business is to speculate in land. They do not get the land for free and they have significant holding costs," the association said, adding it had no doubt the law would be "abundantly tested" in the courts. Mabasa and Karberg said one view was that the concept of EWC was a "legal absurdity" because "intrinsic in the legal definition of expropriation, is a requirement for compensation to be paid". However, the lawyers pointed out the alternative view was that South Africa's constitution "implicitly recognises that it would in some circumstances be just and equitable for compensation to be nil". South Africa's Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson has defended the legislation, breaking ranks with his party, the DA. In fact he is in charge of the new legalisation and, on a discussion panel, he explained that while he had some concerns about the law, it was a "dramatic improvement" on the previous Expropriation Act, with greater safeguards for land-owners. He said the law could also help end extortionist demands on the state, and in some cases "nil compensation" could be justified. He gave as an example the problems being faced by the state-owned power utility Eskom. It plans to roll out a transmission network over about 4,500km (28,000 miles) of land to boost electricity supplies to end the power crisis in the country. Ahead of the roll-out, some individuals colluded with Eskom officials to buy land for 1m rand ($56,000; £41,000), and then demanded R20m for it, he said. "Is it just and equitable to give them what they want? I don't think that's in the interest of the broader community or the state," Macpherson said. Giving another example, Macpherson said that some of South Africa's inner cities were in a "disastrous" condition. After owners left, buildings were "over-run" and "hijacked" for illegal occupation. The cost to the state to rebuild them could exceed their value, and in such cases the courts could rule that an owner qualified for "nil compensation", he said. "Nil is a form of compensation," Macpherson added, while ruling it out for farms. Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero told South Africa's Mail & Guardian newspaper that he wanted to use the buildings for the "public good", like accommodating around 300,000 people on the housing waiting list. He added the owners of nearly 100 buildings could not be located. "They have abandoned the buildings," he said, adding some of the owners were from the UK and Germany. But Mabasa and Karberg told the BBC that in such cases compensation would probably still have to be paid for the buildings, though not the land. If the state could not locate the owners, it "must deposit the compensation with the Master of the High Court" in case they returned or could be traced later, they said. The law is in limbo, as Ramaphosa – about four months after giving his assent to it – has still not set a date for its implementation. Nor is he likely to do so anytime soon, as he would not want to further antagonise Trump while South Africa was trying to negotiate a trade deal with the US. And on the domestic front, the DA is spearheading opposition to the legislation. It said it wanted a "judicial review" of it, while at the same time it was pressing ahead with court action to challenge the law's constitutionality. The DA's tough line is in contrast with that of Macpherson, who, a few weeks ago, warned that if the law was struck down in its entirety: "I don't know what's going to come after that. "In politics, sometimes you must be careful what you wish for because often you can get it," he said. His comments highlight the deep fissures in South African politics, with some parties, such as Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), believing that the legislation did not go far enough to tackle racial inequality in land ownership. With land such an emotive issue, there is no easy solution to the dispute – and it is likely to continue to cause tensions within South Africa, as well as with the US president. Rebuked by Trump but praised at home: How Ramaphosa might gain from US showdown Is there a genocide of white South Africans as Trump claims? South Africans' anger over land set to explode Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
South Africa's push to amend BEE laws for Musk's Starlink triggers public backlash
The South African government is facing intense political backlash after changes to its Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws, potentially allowing Elon Musk's Starlink to operate in the country with exemptions from existing Black ownership requirements. The South African government is facing criticism for proposed changes to Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws. The new laws may allow foreign companies, such as Starlink, to bypass Black ownership requirements through alternative contributions. Critics claim this move undermines South Africa's existing empowerment policies aiming to correct historical injustices. As reported by the Financial Times, South Africa's Minister of Communications, Solly Malatsi revealed plans to allow telecom companies like Starlink to sidestep the 30% Black ownership law through ' equity equivalence ' initiatives, such as local partnerships, job creation, or supporting small businesses, in lieu of equity stakes The proposal follows public remarks by Musk that he has been locked out of South Africa's telecom market because he is " not Black." However, the timing and framing of the legislation has sparked intense criticism from opposition parties and civil society, who accuse the government of tailoring laws to benefit a powerful foreign billionaire. Criticism spreads over SA's BEE amendment Build One South Africa (BOSA), a prominent opposition party, has criticized the government's decision as a " backdoor deal" with Musk, arguing it unfairly favors the billionaire's interests over those of local businesses bound by BEE laws. According to BOSA deputy leader Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster " The message being sent is that if you are a powerful foreign billionaire, you can sidestep South Africa's laws, while our local businesses are forced to jump through hoops," BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomons also warned that the proposed exemption would allow Starlink to enter the market" under conditions favourable to them, not the country," He called the move " impulsive and reckless." Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema echoed this sentiment, promising to oppose Starlink's entry in Parliament. ' We will not be dictated to by business,' Malema said, accusing the government of prioritizing corporate interests over national policy. Defense grows amid criticism Meanwhile, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has defended BEE as essential to reversing the effects of apartheid, while the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party and a key coalition partner, is suing the government over existing BEE laws. DA MP James Lorimer called the proposed rules ' a death knell for foreign investment' "These ownership demands will crush what little appetite remains for investment in South African mining," He said. " The bill doubles down on failed transformation policies at a time when our economy needs growth." He added. The country's President Cyril Ramaphosa has stood firm against dismantling BEE, attributing South Africa's economic stagnation to concentrated ownership rather than empowerment policies. He said: "It is the partial and exclusive ownership of the means of production in our country that is holding this economy from growing," The controversy is consequent of a major political shift: the ANC, weakened by poor 2024 election results driven by public frustration over crime, unemployment, and inflation, has entered into a 10-party coalition, the first time since the end of apartheid that it has lost its wide majority. As Parliament debates the bill in the coming week, the government faces a balancing act; modernize economic policy to attract foreign innovation and investment or risk undermining the very affirmative action framework that has defined its post-apartheid vision.
