Trump's lies rile SA: was Ramaphosa's rebuttal enough?
Political analyst Khaya Sithole sees progress after the meeting but noticed the gaps, saying, 'The response to the white genocide claims was the difficult part because it is not anchored on facts, but what was important about the conversation is that until now we had no idea what formed the basis for Trump's statements and utterances. There were speculations,' he said.
'What was really missing was a very clear denunciation of the genocide conversations by those that Trump takes more seriously than others; those would have been the golfers, John Steenhuisen and, as it turned out, Johann Rupert, but progress was made.'
Sanusha Naidu, from the Institute for Global Dialogue, praises Ramaphosa's strategic restraint. 'I think they were as effective as they could be given the context in which these claims were being made and the mindset of the person making the claims. Obviously, what was very difficult to do, was try to get the US president to accept that he could be wrong and that is not what anybody could achieve ... once President Trump is set on an idea and view, he doesn't back down,' she said.
'The SA Presidency, the delegation in particular, the president, handled it very well. He handled it with maturity, it was measured, it was understood what they were going to do.'
Business tycoon Rupert was part of the delegation. He told Trump crime in South Africa happened across the board — everyone is affected.
'It was a good playbook, the playbook was very critical because Ramaphosa knew you were never going to convince him [Trump] otherwise ... but you now created a doubt in his mind. President Ramaphosa knows how to play this game; it's the long waiting game and he can frustrate you because you're not getting a reaction out of him,' said Naidu.
Human rights lawyer Yasmin Sooka is less optimistic. 'It was quite a shock that we needed three white men to save us, none of whom rebutted the claims of persecution and genocide and it reminded me so much of the late president [FW] De Klerk who never said apartheid was a crime against humanity,' she said.
Sooka warns of global repercussions: 'I think we're being set up. Just as much as we've brought a case in the ICJ on genocide, don't be surprised if the American government doesn't file a case with the Israelis accusing South Africa of persecution, which is a crime against humanity, and genocide, because this is the narrative in the face of disinformation and falsehoods.'
Sooka believes only Ramaphosa and Cosatu's Zingiswa Losi 'really tried hard to rebut the misinformation'.
She cautioned about Trump's focus on EFF leader Julius Malema: 'They might find that the US uses global Magnitsky sanctions or 703C designations, which will mean travel bans for them and their families, so I am not sure if we've turned the tide.'
Sooka adds: 'States have an obligation if there is a basis for genocide and a crime against humanity, and so Trump's question to the president is quite loaded when he asks him what he is doing about Malema. It then becomes South Africa's failure to act when it had knowledge of the so-called genocide.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald
an hour ago
- The Herald
R200m of taxpayers' money spent on GNU ministers' travel since taking office
'South Africans deserve leadership that puts people before perks and not a R200m travel spree by the world's largest cabinet.' The sport, arts and culture department's travel expenses have also raised concern. Minister Gayton McKenzie said he and his staff undertook 11 international trips costing more than R2m, adding that R164,556 was paid for a trip to Burkina Faso that never took place. 'Not only is this spending exorbitant but it is riddled with red flags, gaps and inconsistencies. The public paid for flights and accommodation for an event that was abandoned, a textbook case of wasteful expenditure, as defined by the Public Finance Management Act,' said Beesley. 'Unless the minister can demonstrate that this loss was unavoidable and efforts were made to recover the funds, this reflects a serious failure of financial oversight and internal control.' ActionSA has introduced the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill to address unchecked government spending. 'This bill seeks to slash ministerial perks and restore much-needed fiscal discipline.' TimesLIVE
Eyewitness News
17 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Farm murders and rural safety take prominence on parliamentary agenda
CAPE TOWN - Farm murders and rural safety were back on the parliamentary agenda on Friday, where parties debated the need for a better response to rural crime to ensure food security. The debate comes not too long after President Cyril Ramaphosa and a South African delegation visited the US to convince the country that there's no targeting of white farmers, saying the farmers are just victims of high crime. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has also used the debate to reiterate its opposition to land expropriation without compensation, saying it threatens investor confidence. DA member of Parliament (MP) and spokesperson Willie Aucamp opened the debate, saying the issue of rural safety cuts to the heart of the country's stability and food security. "For too long, the brutality of farm attacks as well as the effect that it has on food security have been ignored. But, finally, this house has been forced to confront the truth." But the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party's Andile Mngxitama says the commercial agriculture sector is still oppressive towards black people, who he says suffer the most on farms. "The commercial agricultural sector remains the bastion of naked racism and systemic violence against black people. The oppressive relations inherited from the past continue in democratic South Africa."
The Herald
18 hours ago
- The Herald
Several successful projects unveiled by MDBA
Since it was established in 2003, the MBDA flourished and it did so due to an enabling and stable political environment, an era predating coalition government. It is important to remember that the MBDA is intrinsically linked to its shareholder through several accountability measures, and all of these are founded on two key pieces of legislation, the Municipal Finance Management Act No 56 of 2003, the Municipal Systems Act and various regulations that set the tone for accountability. The legislation gives council the authority to appoint the accountability structures, the board of directors, the members representative committee and equally important, the independent audit committees, and council has the sole means to hold them to account. The establishment of audit committees in municipalities and municipal entities is a critical requirement under the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) to ensure sound financial governance. As part of their responsibility for financial administration, accounting officers (CEOs) must take all reasonable steps to establish and maintain effective, efficient and transparent systems of financial and risk management, internal control and internal audits that adhere to prescribed norms and standards (sections 62 and 95 of the MFMA). Furthermore, Section 166 (1) of the MFMA mandates that every municipality and municipal entity must have an audit committee, which plays a crucial oversight role. It is evident that these structures and accountability measures are at the disposal of the parent municipality to exercise control over the entity. In addition, the Acts also encourage meaningful public participation and stakeholder engagement in the activities of local government, and that is why platforms such as this are necessary, to keep the citizens and ratepayers informed and involved. When I joined the MBDA in June 2023, the entity's plans for the 2023/2024 financial year were already set and in motion. I accepted that I would work with what I inherited while rebuilding and refocusing the entity for the following year, 2024/2025, the financial year we are currently in. Our goals for 2024/2025 are lofty, and that is to achieve record institutional performance in terms of budget expenditure and service delivery focused key performance indicators ( KPIs). We adopted the 95% budget expenditure performance framework as it applies in our sector, and I am happy to report that we are firmly on track. However, there are only two impediments that are now beyond our control, they are the termination of the construction contract related to Moore Dyke due to disputes with the contractor, and the capital funds earmarked for multipurpose centres that are wholly inadequate and cannot be spent fruitlessly. As evidenced this week, on Tuesday we held the official handover of the Helenvale Extension 12 community park developed at a cost of nearly R4m from a co-funding agreement between the municipality and the German Development Bank, KFW. The park is set up to promote safety and peace and planted with indigenous fauna that is self-sustainable. The work included the construction of a seated pavilion area, paved pathways, a five-a-side and netball court, children's play area and outdoor gym facility. This milestone was achieved due to improved focus on project delivery and accountability we introduced, known as the 'war-room' with one main objective, to unblock and troubleshoot project management. On June 11, we will unveil yet another key community development project that has reached completion and is ready for use. The New Brighton community waste drop-off site came from pleadings by the community through the ward councillor and was facilitated with the assistance of the public health directorate. The project is a solution to rampant illegal dumping in the area which creates health hazards. We also recognised this as an opportunity to turn waste into economic potential, so we trained community co-operatives that will be managing the site in partnership with the municipality. Built at a capital cost of R5.5m, the project created much-needed work opportunities in that community and will provide a lasting solution to illegal dumping. On the tourism asset development front, the St Peters Rainbow Village will finally open to receive local, national and international visitors. By securing the property, the MBDA could protect the heritage of the area and restore some dignity for those who called South End home for decades. The remains of the church represent one of the last remaining structures from the 1960s forced removals. Going beyond the restoration of the old church, we have created a unique and must-see tourism offering that will appeal to all markets. The rehabilitated St Peters Rainbow Village now offers a space for outdoor events, educational and community activities, a small amphitheatre, and the opportunity for guided tours celebrating South End's rich history and culture. Also, in June, as part of initiatives to commemorate 22 years of urban redevelopment, we intend to honour a former leader and founding member of the first democratic local government of the Bay. An individual that played a leading role in shaping the vision that enabled the existence of the MBDA, someone who represents a cohort of collective leadership that provided a conducive environment for the MBDA to flourish. The phrase 'Without vision, the people perish' is from Proverbs 29:18 in the Bible. It means that without a clear goal or direction, people become unrestrained, cannot focus and cannot reach their goals. The phrase emphasises the importance of having a clear vision or goal, and currently it is difficult to identify what the current vision is for the Bay. The Herald
