Rob Hersov divides opinion with open letter to Donald Trump
South African capitalist activist and entrepreneur Rob Hersov recently delivered a hard-hitting open letter to US President Donald Trump and US ambassador-designate Brent Bozell, in which he exposed the ANC's corruption, anti-American stance, and destructive governance.
Hersov delivered the letter via a video uploaded to his Truth Report News YouTube channel.
The video came ahead of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's trip to the US where he is scheduled to meet with Donald Trump in Washington DC on Wednesday, 21 May.
Hersov's video has divided opinion among South Africans.
Some called for Hersov to join the 49 white Afrikaner 'refugees' in the United States, while others simply stated 'he's telling the truth'.
Below, just a handful of the comments left on the Facebook post which went viral this week.
America has become an International Court of Law. Let's South African people solve their problems those who want to relocate to America they are more than welcome to do so . What I believe in is even America have problems like any other countries. They are not special. Let's share the Land – Mabaso
He's telling the truth – Siyabonga
Thank you for fighting…with us… – Hettie
Let him go join the 49 farmers/car guards – Aquiline
As if Trump owns South Africa! What the hell is he gonna do about that info that ANC is destroying SA? Trump himself is destroying America and that's not Africa's problem. ANC was voted into power by citizens of SA. Trump fits nowhere on that matter – Kholofelo
Guys please enlighten me… how come is Donald Trump a saint while he has so many convictions of corruption…. how is he going to safe SA.. from corruption… – Ngazi
Is he wrong though ? We cry everyday on how these comrades abuse our country – Angelo
I'm yet to hear Rob Hersov speak about South Africa without mentioning the US – Mpilonhle
Which is true, anc are just criminals all of them – Alfred
Politicians are using Trump to fight the ANC but they don't see that they are making ANC stronger, everytime i see racist comments i am also reminded of the pain our parents went through. These parties must not take the apartheid effect light because people rather vote for a corrupt ANC as long as they are lead by a black government.. Apartheid really feels like it happened yesterday hence it's not easy to forget especially when you see some people commenting like it's not a big thing – KG
ANC needs to automatically step down n give the other party a chance to lead, just once. I want to see something – Zodwa
Racists like this keep dividing South Africa which is dangerous, and they know if shit hits the fan by this behavior they will be the first one to run because they have dual citizenships and money, they think this Trump will be President forever – Clive
There is some truth is this, SA is listed as a dangourous country, it's goverment is corupted and it's looks like it's going backwards instead of forward. Durban Beachfront now and 30 years ago, huge diffrent. That place looks so dodgy now. Especially the backroad that was once busseling with life. I disagree that Trump is The Man. He's just an Orange idiot who puts his nose where it doesn't belong. He should deal with the mass shootings and poverty in his own country. As this moment nearly half the world dislikes America, not just the SA goverment. Free that sniper dude who missed and give him a second chance at aming properly – Brenda
Praise God for this man. Kudos to you Rob, kudos to you my man – HoofSeun
He can write to whom he wants to. Not other people's business – Elize
Meanwhile, in another video this month, Rob Hersov says South Africa just picked a fight with the most powerful country on Earth … America.
And it wasn't by accident. It was by design – reckless, arrogant, and utterly self-destructive, he added.
As always, Hersov pulled no punches.
Full transcript below the video:
South Africa just picked a fight with the most powerful country on Earth – America.
And it wasn't by accident. It was by design – reckless, arrogant and utterly self-destructive.
Let me give you the facts: South Africa is one of the top 10 countries that consistently votes against the United States in the United Nations.
In 2018, South Africa's ambassador to Venezuela offered military support – military support – against a potential US invasion.
The ANC has endorsed dictators like Fidel Castro, Gaddafi, Mugabe, Stalin, and even Mao Zedong.
And in 2019, the US, UK, Germany and other countries warned South Africa to fix corruption or kiss investment goodbye.
And what was the ANC's response?
To call those countries imperialist threats and double down on their anti-West rhetoric.
And in 2020, ANC members chanted, and I quote, 'One bullet, one American outside the US embassy in Pretoria.'
And South Africa's embassy in Washington DC?
It's essentially defunct, no ambassador for two years, pure diplomatic negligence.
Mr Trump's Truth Social post 2 February was the first of many warning shots and yet the ANC did nothing.
So let me give you the truth behind the numbers.
South Africa's so-called non-aligned status is a lie.
Publicly neutral, privately pro-China, pro-Russia, pro-Iran and cozy with human rights abusers.
And what don't they want you to know?
Well, the ANC is actively undermining Western partnerships.
They've gutted our embassies, alienated allies and openly backed terror-linked groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
And the ANC take bribes from Iran to sue Israel and the ICJ.
This isn't diplomacy, it's delusion.
Free markets, crumbling, western values, rejected, and traditional principles? Traded for populist posturing and Marxist nostalgia.
So here's the wake-up call.
Why aren't more South Africans screaming about this?
Because the ANC has wrapped itself in the liberation flag while torching the nation's future.
The ANC has been bootlicking China and Russia while insulting the only countries that have ever offered us prosperity.
But Donald Trump is back and he's watching, he's reading, he's listening, and he's getting ready.
What's the bottom line here?
Well, we have a path forward. The path forward is to fire the diplomats who can't do their job, rebuild our embassies with professionals, not cadres.
And let's recommit to the West, because that's where the investment, the innovation, and the future lies.
We know that, the majority of South Africans know it.
The stakes? Well the stakes are high.
Without AGOA we're going to lose 250 000 jobs, factories are going to close, farmers will go bankrupt, food security out the window.
And the G20 Summit we're hosting this year is destined to be a humiliating disaster if President Trump and other important leaders boycott – which is likely.
Other African nations are playing it smart. Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, even Zimbabwe, they're reaching out to America.
They're making deals while we're burning bridges.
South Africa doesn't have to be a failed state, but to save this country we need leaders with courage, not cowards in suits.
We need the truth, not ideology.
So here it is, loud and clear: Fix this damn foreign policy before there's nothing left to fix.
Let's put South Africa first, at last.
Robert Basil Hersov, born on 9 October 1960 in Johannesburg, is a business executive and entrepreneur.
His grandfather, Bob Hersov, was the founder of AngloVaal, one of Southern Africa's largest mining and industrial companies.
His father, Basil Hersov, ran the company from 1973 to 2001.
The family sold AngloVaal in the 1990s.
Rob Hersov serves as chairman and CEO (and founder) of Invest Africa, Chairman and Partner (and founder) of African Capital Investments.
His parents are Basil Edward Hersov and Antoinette.
Hersov matriculated from Michaelhouse in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands.
In 1982 he studied at the University of Cape Town and obtained a B.Bus.Sci degree. In 1989 he obtained his MBA from Harvard Business School.
He began his career at Goldman Sachs in New York and then became head of the European media investment banking team at Morgan Stanley in London.
From 1989 to 1991 he was business development manager at News Corporation in New York for chairman Rupert Murdoch.
After this he became a board member of the luxury goods company Richemont SA, and also managed FilmNet.
He then became CEO of Telepiu Srl in Milan, Italy's largest pay-TV company, belonging to the Mediaset media group, where he was also a member of the board of directors, until August 1997.
In 1999, he started his own business as an investor and entrepreneur. In September 1999, he co-founded Antfactory; in November 1999, he helped found Peoplenews.com.
In 2021, he acquired Fisantekraal Airport, west of Durbanville, and renamed it 'Cape Winelands Airport'.
He aims to develop it into a vibrant airport and secondary hub for Cape Town.
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Will you consider urging your police minister colleague to target high-level poaching bosses, wildlife traffickers and the corrupt facilitators in airports, courts and police stations who empower them? If the (unfortunate) war metaphor must be wielded, are unethical government officials not our most insidious economic saboteurs, requiring nothing other than a bold stance and zero tolerance? Innovations in tackling organised wildlife crime Your ministry and department is already leading change: supporting long-term safety and security for wildlife and local people under initiatives such as the Integrated Wildlife Zones programme, rooted in the new National Integrated Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking. We need this increased focus on wildlife trafficking as a transnational organised crime, requiring multidisciplinary, cross-border solutions to dismantle illicit value chains. Your team's recently formed Environmental Enforcement Fusion Centre draws on evidence from the SADC region that specialist investigations halt wildlife crime, with a broader and more sustainable impact than only ranger-led anti-poaching work. Well-trained, suitably equipped, and armed rangers have a crucial role to play, but only within a holistic, systems approach. Innovative, cross-sectoral initiatives are already under way and deserve more publicity and financial backing. For example, a prominent conservation NGO in the Greater Kruger historically adopted a narrow focus on military responses to poaching. However, through visionary leadership and concepts such as the Integrated Wildlife Zones, private nature reserves, local communities, civil society and government now collaborate to transform the Greater Kruger landscape into a ' safer place for people and for rhinos '. The unintended effects of valorising rangers Minister George, your public utterances consistently portray rangers as brave, dedicated individuals fighting a noble cause. For many rangers, this rings true, but again, there is more to the story. A recent study chronicles the hidden costs of framing conservation efforts, specifically the fight against poaching, as a 'war'. While it might seem intuitive to idealise rangers as 'soldiers' on the front lines, endowing them with a heroic mantle, this approach can unexpectedly backfire in ways that undermine the very cause it intends to champion. The constant public pressure on protected area managers and rangers to produce a quick and decisive 'victory', the sheer relentlessness of their struggle, and the constant exposure to fatigue, violence and trauma, has bred disillusionment and dark cynicism. As a result, frontline conservationists experience a profound loss of perspective that narrows their focus to mere 'survival mode'. The 'war' mentality has led to wide-scale burnout and a fixation on enforcing the law. Protected area managers lose sight of broader conservation goals and the possibility of alternative solutions. Crucially, casting rangers as heroes and poachers as villains is a binary and limiting framing that distracts us from tackling the complex social, economic and political drivers of poaching. Simon Sinek's Infinite Game approach offers a helpful alternative that can motivate rangers by shifting their perspective from a finite 'war' to a more fulfilling and sustainable practice. This involves reframing their purpose and meaning by focusing on a just cause that goes beyond solely defeating poachers. Additionally, promoting resilience helps rangers adapt to changing circumstances and view setbacks not as lost battles, but as opportunities for learning. Towards conviviality Convivial conservation is a global movement aimed at transforming conservation practices and policies. Drawing on the concept of 'conviviality', it emphasises inclusivity, reciprocity and fairness. It champions a move away from exclusionary and coercive approaches towards more collaborative strategies co-developed between diverse actors and sectors. Minister, please consider how such an approach could help us rethink the 'rhino war', so we can: Tell better, more nuanced stories: we need to recognise and communicate the complexities surrounding wildlife crime if we are going to collectively imagine a more sophisticated response to it. Direct resources not just at law enforcement but also towards initiatives that address poaching's root causes: no animal or asset in any reserve will ever be safe if they are surrounded by socioeconomic deprivation, inequality, corruption, and organised criminal networks. Bolster good governance on 'this' and 'that' side of the fence: local communities, municipalities, businesses, traditional authorities, and both park and law enforcement agencies need to view each other as neighbours in a shared landscape, with shared challenges and interests. The Integrated Wildlife Zones initiative is a positive step in that direction. Promote a more supportive and equitable work environment for rangers: we need realistic societal expectations about what rangers can achieve in the face of transnational criminal networks. In addition, rangers need better pay, decent housing, sufficient training and equipment, and culturally appropriate psychosocial support. Minister George, declaring more wars will not save our threatened biodiversity. Valorising field rangers and having them bear the brunt of South Africa's governance failures — and leaving them to endure the emotional and physical scars — is not sufficient. Let us expand our strategies beyond combative reactions to swiftly and fairly tackle organised crime and governance challenges for the benefit of wildlife, their guardians, and the millions of people living on the fringes of protected areas. DM Dr Lindie Botha is a social scientist working to mitigate the negative impacts of wildlife crime on biodiversity and people. Alastair Nelson leads Conservation Synergies, a non-profit that supports governments and their partners to use approaches from other fields to solve complex problems and improve conservation impact. Eldred de Klerk is a comparative policing and social conflict specialist who focuses on conflict resolution, violence prevention, rule of law and security sector reform.
