Trump to attend NATO summit in The Hague
THE HAGUE - US President Donald Trump will attend a NATO summit in The Hague later in June, where his demands to ramp up defense spending will dominate the agenda, the White House said Tuesday.
Trump has long criticized NATO partners for not paying their fair share and had not previously confirmed he would attend the meeting, his first with the transatlantic alliance since his return to power.
"I can confirm he will be going to the NATO summit, yes," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing when asked by AFP if Trump would attend.
Ukraine's war with Russia will also be on the agenda, with President Volodymyr Zelensky confirming on Tuesday that his country has been invited. Zelensky and Trump had a major Oval Office row in February.
Republican Trump threatened to withdraw altogether from NATO during his first term, and has since threatened to defend only those allies that he thinks are spending enough on defense.
His administration has also raised the prospect that it could look to shift forces away from Europe to focus on threats elsewhere like China -- while causing tensions with allies Canada and Denmark by threatening their territory.
His core demand is for NATO members to spend five percent of GDP on defense, claiming that Washington is bearing most of the burden for their defense.
None of NATO's 32 members -- including the United States -- currently hit that level.
To make him happy, alliance chief and former Dutch premier Mark Rutte has floated a proposal for 3.5 percent of GDP on direct defense spending by 2032, and 1.5 percent of broader security-related expenditures.
Such a deal could let Trump claim a win by reaching his headline figure even if not all of it is new spending.
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Mail & Guardian
an hour ago
- Mail & Guardian
There is no genocide in South Africa – but there is billionaire disinformation
US President Donald Trump. What unfolded recently in the Oval Office — a meeting between US President Donald Trump, President Cyril Ramaphosa, Elon Musk, Johann Rupert, and DA leader John Steenhuisen — was a shameful display of misinformation, disinformation, elite self-preservation and racial scapegoating. It was a calculated act of fear-mongering and a spectacle of national chauvinism of the US state. Trump's tirade about a genocide against white people, or more specifically white farmers, in South Africa is not only factually wrong, it is morally grotesque. Especially in the context of the real genocide taking place in Gaza and which is being televised live around the world. According to reports by the Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX) champions a pan-African agenda. Race is a social construct, not a biological reality; it is shaped by history, politics and culture rather than rooted in genetics. There is only one race and that is the human race. By referring to a section of the population in South Africa who happen to have a white skin as refugees, especially a section of the population who benefited unfairly under the apartheid regime, is disingenuous at best. One apartheid-era example is job reservation where all white collar work was reserved exclusively for 'whites only'. It also makes a mockery of the plight of human beings fleeing war, conflict and persecution based on their political beliefs, sexual orientation and so forth; fleeing for their lives. Trump's fear-based rhetoric is echoed by US officials such as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are leveraging disinformation to justify racist immigration policies. It also informs the practice of many European countries and others such as Australia, which are embedded in repressive measures taken against people fleeing countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These can only be seen as racially informed policies to keep refugees out, based on a racist trope of 'cultural difference'. Rupert's presence in the White House was a masterclass in elite deflection. He spoke about building homes for his grandchildren while ignoring the millions of children growing up in South Africa's informal settlements, excluded from land and opportunity by the very class Rupert belongs to. Rupert accumulated his wealth through the unfair privilege that he enjoyed simply because of the colour of his skin. So to talk about transformation and redress is to talk about how apartheid's systemic construction of inequality remains a reality. Rupert also referred to undocumented migrants as 'aliens' — a term that reeks of apartheid-era violence, recalling the Aliens Control Act, which dehumanised African workers while Rupert's empire was fattened by the exploitation that was the legal framework of apartheid. Today, that legacy continues. But words such as equality and science are anathema to Trump. It is no surprise that Trump uses false and unsubstantiated information, because it is Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon that are vehicles for the spreading of misinformation and toxic hatred. Big Tech firms increasingly operate above the regulatory grasp of governments. And the more toxic and divisive the information that is shared such as the claim of 'white genocide in South Africa', the more profits these companies make. Those US-based tech corporates own the vast majority of the world's digital nervous system and they use this to spread misinformation, lies and unsubstantiated statements. What we saw in the Oval Office was global apartheid in action. The apartheid of the rich and the poor. The apartheid of the excessively rich. This wealth distribution and inequality is informed by an era of the existence of a global empire shaped by multi-tech companies that have a monopoly and domination of global markets and are economic powerhouses. These multi-tech companies are the ones who have coined the phrase 'precarious work', which has impoverished and stripped the dignity of hundreds of millions of workers. There are serious problems in South Africa, but they are not unique to us. Around the world, and very much including Trump's US, it is the greed, cowardice, corruption and inhumanity of those who hold political power and who hoard wealth and dodge taxes, that drives systemic poverty, unemployment and crime, not the poor and not migrants. The Trump-led US state, like most of the states in the Global North, is choosing to ignore the real global crises — climate refugees, displaced people, economic migrants and the genocide in Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians are being killed. Whole neighbourhoods flattened. Hospitals bombed. Journalists assassinated. You don't get to preach about justice and peddle lies about 'white genocide' when you not only ignore but support actual crimes against humanity. We call on every worker, activist, migrant, and citizen to reject the myth of the 'invading alien' and stand firm against the real threat: a global billionaire elite desperate to protect its position and power at any cost. Stand in solidarity with the struggle for equality and justice in the world. Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia is a coalition of organisations united against xenophobia.
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Trump's false claims: challenging negative narratives with the warmth and beauty of the 'rainbow nation'
US President Donald Trump uses an image taken in Congo as proof of his claims that there is a genocide against Afrikaner farmers in South Africa. Image: AFP Amidst the backdrop of misinformation surrounding South Africa's socio-political landscape, South African Tourism invites the world to experience the country's rich diversity and vibrant culture, challenging negative narratives with the warmth and beauty of the 'Rainbow Nation'. This comes in the wake of a controversial meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump, where unfounded claims regarding genocide against Afrikaner farmers in South Africa were raised. During their meeting last month in the Oval Office, Trump labelled the situation facing Afrikaner farmers as one of 'genocide". However, Ramaphosa denied these claims, asserting that while South Africa faces significant crime challenges, they affect citizens across all racial backgrounds and he asked for assistance to address the high levels of crime. As international scrutiny mounts, a second wave of Afrikaners landed in the US last week under Trump's controversial resettlement programme that will eventually see 8,000 individuals relocating. In 2018, during his first term in office, Trump referred to countries on the African continent as 'shithole countries'. According to reports, in addressing concerns about false narratives affecting South Africa's global image, Michael Delaney, general manager of Radisson RED Johannesburg-Rosebank, cautioned against narratives seeking to make South Africa look bad and argued the importance of highlighting the country's positive attributes. 'Many of the misconceptions can be countered by showcasing the friendliness of its people, natural beauty, and cultural diversity,' he said, noting that most international visitors' perceptions of South Africa tend to improve significantly once they arrive. Trump's religious advisor, Pastor Mark Burns, visited South Africa to investigate the alleged genocide of white Afrikaner farmers. He later dismissed the EFF and Julius Malema as attention seekers for chanting 'Kill the Boer, kill the farmer.' Tourism bodies and an international relations specialist responded to inquiries about the actions taken and necessary measures needed to challenge Trump's genocide narrative. Toni Gumede, manager in the office of the CEO of Brand South Africa, said since Trump took office, Brand SA has consistently responded to his statements in line with the country's values. 'Ours is to continually drive messaging that not only balances whatever the narrative may be in the environment, but to highlight facts from misinformation in all our touchpoints domestically and internationally,' she said. She said Brand SA's nation branding mandate encompasses the promotion of South Africa's image, competitiveness, institutional credibility, and attractiveness for investment, tourism, trade, and skills mobility. 'Brand South Africa is tasked with improving how South Africa is perceived globally. The objective is to position the country as an attractive destination to invest in, visit, work, study, or do business with,' she said. Gumede said as an organisation, Brand SA continuously implements both proactive and reactive strategies through communications, marketing, and stakeholder engagements across the globe to ensure that we influence perceptions about the country. 'We work with and through a broad spectrum of partners and stakeholders, including business, civil society, and government,' she said. Some of the issues that Brand SA has addressed is South Africa's Expropriation Act of 2025 and the legacy of land dispossession among others. Gumede said Brand SA also drives a domestic programme called Play Your Part to get South Africans involved in positive social impact, including those in the diaspora, our very own Global South Africans, and ensure visibility/messaging about South Africa at global platforms like WEF, the recent SA-France investment Forum, and many others. 'According to the 2025 Global Reputation Study conducted by Bloom Consulting and Brand SA, South Africa's global brand equity is on an upward trajectory, with five out of six key dimensions showing improvement: Exports, Investment, Tourism, Work, and Study,' she said. Gumede said taken together, these results affirm the strategic value of Brand South Africa's interventions globally. 'Nearing or exceeding global affinity thresholds in Exports and Investment, and showing resilience across other dimensions, the nation brand is increasingly seen as credible, competitive, and globally connected which is a critical enabler for trade, tourism, and human capital attraction,' she said. Global manager PR and communications for South African Tourism, Thandiwe Mathibela, said South Africa stands ready to welcome travellers from across the globe. 'We invite the world to discover the joy of South Africa - for a memorable, long-lasting experience,' she said. Home to over 60 million people, Mathibela said South Africa celebrates unity in diversity. 'The spirit of ubuntu — shared humanity — defines our national character. South Africa's social fabric is defined by the everyday coexistence of people from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the stability and cohesion that support our broader economic and tourism environment.' In 2024, Mathibela said over 8.5 million international visitors chose South Africa, with continued growth from markets including the US, UK, Germany, China, and the rest of Africa. 'As we prepare to host the G20 Leaders' Summit in November this year, our ability to deliver secure, high-level global events has been reaffirmed,' she said. Mathibela emphasised that safety is a priority, and that the government is actively investing in traveller safety through expanded safety monitor programmes and infrastructure upgrades. 'South Africa continues to invest in quality-assured tourism facilities to ensure high service excellence and seamless sustainable visitor experience.' International relations expert André Thomashausen argued that South Africa should rely on facts and refer to the recently updated "Investigative Report on White Murders in South Africa Since 1992" by the European Centre for Information Policy and Security ( He said this is an unbiased assessment that records 12,567 farm attacks over the past 3 decades and that this cannot be 'wished away.' The report states that in 2019 alone, there were 552 attacks and 57 murders, primarily targeting white farm owners and their families, and although white farmers are disproportionately affected due to their prevalence in commercial farming, farm workers and smallholders of all races are also victims. Robbery is the main motive, with racially or politically motivated attacks being rare. The report recommended improved intelligence, data transparency, crime prevention strategies, and balanced public communication to tackle farm attacks amidst South Africa's complex environment. 'The SA government count since 1994 indicates 3,398 murdered farmers. The Wikipedia entry on 'South African Farm Attacks' refers to a murder rate of 274 per 100,000 farmers, as against a national average of 61 per 100,000,' said Thomashausen. Thomashausen said South African farmers make up the profession suffering from the highest murder risk, in South Africa and even globally. 'It is good that the recent presidential meeting in Washington DC has refocused the debates on South Africa's inequality index, giving it [the] worst Gini coefficients recorded anywhere. This cannot be resolved by 'nationalising' relative and absolute wealth but only by an aggressive economic growth and employment policy,' he said. According to Thomashausen, the meeting in Washington DC behind closed doors focused on how to overcome the development failure in the South African economy. 'Hopefully this will reflect in the abolishment of tariffs on both sides and stronger foreign investment support for South Africa.' [email protected]
Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
Rectifying the ‘false' colonial narrative of Nongqawuse and the cattle culling of 1856
My book, Triangle of One Hundred Years Wars, provides a compelling African perspective which unravels the forgotten history of the Eastern Cape. It interrogates the longest unparalleled wars of resistance in Africa which used to be defined as Frontier Wars; unravels the false colonial narrative of Nongqawuse as the facade of the biological weapon of mass cattle decimation of AmaXhosa, and is a critical examination of the distorted narrative in the South African secondary schools history textbooks. For purposes of this exercise the focus is on the narrative of Nongqawuse examined in the context of the wars fought by AmaXhosa to resist the Dutch and the British encroachment in South Africa from 1779 until 1879. The book is anchored on the assertion that AmaXhosa killed their cattle in order to arrest the spread of the European cattle lung sickness known as epizootic (C.B Andreas, 2005, The Spread and Impact of the Lung sickness Epizootic of 1853-57) in the Cape colony and the Xhosa Chiefdoms). The construction of the Nongqawuse narrative was a cover-up in order to hide the historical fact that the resistance of AmaXhosa was broken by decimating their productive capabilities through what one defined as the continuation of the war through the introduction of the highly contagious and lethal European cattle lung sickness. Why was it necessary to resort to the biological weapon of cattle destruction? One may recall that the royal leaders of AmaXhosa, such as Prince Chungwa of AmaGqunukhwebe, Prince Langa of AmaMbalu, Prince Ndlambe and Prince Mdushane of AmaRharhabe, fought five wars against the Dutch and the British settlers from 1779 until 1819. The wars were fought in what was known as the Zuurveld between the Gamtoos and Fish rivers. In the first three wars, between 1779 and 1803, the Dutch failed to dislodge AmaXhosa in the coveted Zuurveld region. In the fourth war of 1811-1812 AmaXhosa retreated from the Zuurveld after the British-led army resorted to ethnic cleansing by killing women and children. In the fifth war of 1819, AmaXhosa were crushed by the British artillery in the Battle of Grahamstown, which is still celebrated annually in South Africa. The rise of the highly courageous sons of King Ngqika, such as Maqoma, Tyali, Anta, Xhoxho, Mathwa and Sandile, became a game-changer in the wars of resistance. The bone-crushing confrontation between Prince Maqoma Ah! Jongumsobomvu and Major General Harry Smith, the Duke of Wellington, in 1835 marked the first defeat of the British army in Africa. Smith and the governor, Sir Benjamin Durban, were fired. The Dutch settlers embarked on the Great Trek after they suffered heavy losses in the war. In 1846, the region witnessed the spectacle of a convoy of 125 wagons loaded with ammunition and supplies led by the revered Major General John Hare, a Knight of Hanover, in the invasion of Keiskammahoek in order to dislodge AmaXhosa from the fortress of the Mathole mountains. AmaXhosa were led by the young unassuming King Sandile Ah! Mgolombane. While the British army was navigating its way to the designated military base near Mkhubiso village, Sandile launched a surprise and ruthless ambush. The overwhelming power of the pulverising onslaught dismantled the core of the British army. Noel Mostert, in his book Frontiers, defined it as the worst humiliating defeat of the British army in Africa. Hare resigned and later succumbed to a heart attack. He was buried on the Island of St Helena. On 24 December 1950, the AmaXhosa regiments and the British army locked horns in what became the longest war of resistance in Africa. It was an agonising encounter. The British named Mthontsi, Mount Misery because of the worst unbearable suffering in the history of the wars of resistance. The huge losses on the battlefield led to the recall of Harry Smith and Henry Sommerset. They were replaced by Colonel Fordyce who was later killed on Mount Misery. The collapse of the government of Prime Minister John Russell in Britain in 1852 was attributed to the war. The three consecutive defeats of the British army in 1835, 1846 and 1850-1853 raised questions about whether the army had the capabilities to counterbalance the sting of the relentless resistance of AmaXhosa. In the three defeats the British commanders were outsmarted and outmanoeuvred by the highly gifted sons of King Ngqika. The fact that the firepower of the British artillery was rendered obsolete by the brilliant execution of the surprise, simultaneous attacks remained a source of frustration. The unprecedented collective resolve displayed by AmaXhosa supported by Nkosi Mapasa of AbaThembu and Nkosi Ngxukumeshe Matroos of the Khoi-San in the War of Mlanjeni, drew a line in the sand. In essence the continued, rapid ascendancy of AmaXhosa on the battlefields through their highly innovative military strategies and the ability to sustain wars meant that an alternative strategy had to be devised to attain the colonial conquest of South Africa. The arrival of Sir George Grey in the Cape colony in 1854 – the first civilian governor since the second British occupation of the Cape in 1806 – signalled a major shift from the application of military action as an instrument of conquest of AmaXhosa. Hence AmaXhosa started experiencing an alien European cattle lung sickness at the beginning of 1855. In 1856, AmaXhosa resorted to cattle culling to arrest the rapid spread of the disease. They continued doing so until 1857. Interestingly, Professor Jeff Peires, in his book The Dead Will Arise, acknowledged the correlation between the rapid spread of the cattle lung sickness and the cattle culling implemented by AmaXhosa. On the same note, the colonial narrative that AmaXhosa killed their cattle in response to the prophecy of Nongqawuse claimed that it occurred in 1856 and 1857. The deliberate omission of the effects of the catastrophic calamity of the cattle lung sickness which occurred in the same period was meant to drive a particular narrative in perpetuation of the colonial interest to the detriment of AmaXhosa. In retrospect, the false colonial narrative of Nongqawuse created deep-seated psychological scars of shame, self-hatred and a mental inferiority complex. To a certain extent the Nongqawuse narrative contributed to the creation of a permanent state of psychological self-induced surrender and submission. The false narrative of distorted history continues to manifest itself through self-destructive tendencies such as a consumer mentality and the death of Ubuntu. In conclusion, one of the contributions of the Triangle of One Hundred Years Wars is the rectification of the continued perpetuation of distorted history. The book attempts to create possibilities of critical interrogation and the deeper understanding of our history, hence it unearthed the brilliant contributions of AmaXhosa in the longest, unparalleled wars of resistance in Africa. DM
