Vuyo Zungula: Trump can't tell Vladimir Putin or Captain Ibrahim Traoré who to bring to White House
US President Donald Trump hands papers to President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.
Image: AFP
Leader of the African Transformation Movement (ATM) Vuyolwethu Zungula says the high-stakes meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump was poisoned even in its preparations, when Trump informed Ramaphosa people to include in Pretoria's delegation.
At the beginning of the presidential engagement on Wednesday night, Ramaphosa revealed that Trump had asked him to bring certain golfers — Ernie Els, the former world No. 1 golfer, and Retief Goosen, a two-time US Open champion — to the bilateral meeting.
Ramaphosa also revealed that Trump had asked him to bring along another celebrated South African golfer, Gary Player, who reportedly still practices his swing with the United States president.
Ramaphosa told Trump that he had approached Player, and invited him to travel with him, but the 89-year-old golf legend had declined to make the trip. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
'When I spoke to you, you said come along and bring Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. I have brought the two of them. Gary Player, I spoke to him and he said I am getting rather on in my years and he wishes us luck in this discussion with you. It is a real joy and I would like you for allowing your people to start discussions with us,' said Ramaphosa.
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In an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, ATM leader Zungula said when Trump made suggestions to Ramaphosa's delegation, it was a big red flag.
'As a sovereign country, you want to show the world that you have a backbone, and you are able to put the interests of the millions of your citizens where you affirm that you are not a puppet, you are not a country that could be bullied or undermined by any country," said Zungula.
'To have the president of the USA dictating to the president of South Africa as to who he must bring in the delegation, that was the first red flag. You can't imagine President Trump saying to President Putin when Putin is going to America, who to bring.
US President Donald Trump
Image: Photo: AFP
'Trump can't tell the President of China (Xi Jinping), he would never even try it with Captain Ibrahim Traoré but he finds comfort in telling the president of South Africa as to who must come and represent South Africa on a delegation going to address his own misinformation,' he said.
Additionally, Zungula said Ramaphosa did not firmly address Trump on the issue of the misinformation about South Africa, using facts.
'He delegated that to John Steenhuisen and other people. He did not rebut the misinformation by President Trump and Elon Musk with fact. The issue we have with that as the ATM is that majority of South Africans who live outside the country, wherever they go, they need to explain that there is no genocide in South Africa," said Zungula.
IOL reported on Wednesday that, at the beginning of the meeting, Trump said he has received many complaints about the treatment of Afrikaners in South Africa, and he will be engaging Ramaphosa on the matter.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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