We'll beef up security for Trump — some more equal than others: Ntshavheni
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says security will be beefed up for US President Donald Trump when he visits the country later this year because 'some are more equal than others'.
South Africa will host the G20 summit at Nasrec in Johannesburg in November, with Trump expected to attend as South Africa hands over the G20 presidency to the US for 2026.
Ntshavheni told the media: 'We must beef up security. When a leader of the free world visits your country, the security must be heightened.
'So if indeed President Trump comes to South Africa, security around him, and security around other presidents [will differ]. We are all sovereign, we are all equal but some are more equal than others so the security needs to be heightened,' she said, implying that Trump's status as a global leader warrants a protection boost compared with other heads of state.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
an hour ago
- eNCA
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.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Trump threatens fines against California over trans athlete
US President Donald Trump has vowed to impose "large scale" fines against California after a transgender high school athlete's victory at state track and field championships last weekend. Image: Jim Watson/ AFP US President Donald Trump has vowed to impose "large scale" fines against California after a transgender high school athlete's victory at state track and field championships last weekend. AB Hernandez, 16, won two gold medals and a silver at the athletics meet in Clovis amid an outcry over her participation. Hernandez shared her place on the medal podium with rivals under modified rules applied specifically to her events designed to ensure that "biological female student-athletes" were not deprived of winning medals. Trump, who had protested against Hernandez's participation last week, said in a Truth Social post late Monday that California authorities would be fined as a result. "A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so," Trump wrote. "As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!" added Trump, using the disparaging moniker he reserves for California's Governor Gavin Newsom. The US Department of Justice last week announced it had launched an investigation into whether California had violated Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. "The investigation is to determine whether California, its senior legal, educational, and athletic organizations, and the school district are engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of sex," the DOJ said in a statement. On Monday, it followed up that announcement with a letter to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) warning the body that the rules which allowed Hernandez to compete violated federal law. The Justice Department ordered the CIF to confirm in writing by June 9 that its bylaw would not be implemented. "Scientific evidence shows that upsetting the historical status quo and forcing girls to compete against males would deprive them of athletic opportunities and benefits because of their sex," the letter from assistant US attorney general Harmeet Dhillon read. "Therefore, you cannot implement a policy allowing males to compete alongside girls, because such a policy would deprive girls of athletic opportunities and benefits based solely on their biological sex, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause." AFP
eNCA
3 hours ago
- eNCA
Trade war cuts global economic growth outlook: OECD
WASHINGTON - The OECD slashed its annual global growth forecast on Tuesday, warning that US President Donald Trump's tariffs blitz would stifle the world economy -- hitting the United States especially hard. After 3.3-percent growth last year, the world economy is now expected to expand by a "modest" 2.9 percent in 2025 and 2026, the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said. In its previous report in March, the OECD had forecast growth of 3.1 percent for 2025 and 3.0 percent for 2026. Since then, Trump has launched a wave of tariffs that has rattled financial markets. "The global outlook is becoming increasingly challenging," said the OECD, an economic policy group of 38 mostly wealthy countries. It said "substantial increases" in trade barriers, tighter financial conditions, weaker business and consumer confidence, and heightened policy uncertainty will all have "marked adverse effects on growth" if they persist. The OECD downgraded its 2025 growth forecast for the United States from 2.2 percent to 1.6 percent. The world's biggest economy is expected to slow further next year to 1.5 percent. Trump, who has insisted that the tariffs would spark a manufacturing revival and restore a US economic "Golden Age", posted on his Truth Social platform before the OECD report's publication: "Because of Tariffs, our Economy is BOOMING!" The OECD holds a ministerial meeting in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday. US and EU trade negotiators are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of the gathering after Trump threatened to hit the European Union with 50-percent tariffs. The Group of Seven advanced economies is also holding a meeting focused on trade. "For everyone, including the United States, the best option is that countries sit down and get an agreement," OECD chief economist Alvaro Pereira said in an interview with AFP. "Avoiding further trade fragmentation is absolutely key in the next few months and years," Pereira said. Trump imposed in April a baseline tariff of 10 percent on imports from around the world. He unveiled higher tariffs on dozens of countries but has paused them until July to allow time for negotiations. The US president has also imposed 25-percent tariffs on cars and now plans to raise those on steel and aluminium to 50 percent on Wednesday.
