AfriForum and Solidarity face criticism for lobbying the Trump administration on SA policies, farm murders, and economic sanctions.
Afrikaner lobby groups are not supposed to discuss South Africa’s affairs with another country.
This was the reaction of political analyst Prof Ntsikelelo Breakfast after a US trip undertaken by members of AfriForum and Solidarity Movement recently to meet the Trump administration over South Africa and US relations.
“When countries enter into treaties, there are terms and conditions. There are provisions and those provisions of international law,” he said yesterday.
Civil society groups can’t discuss internal issues with another country
“Both countries must abide by the law. You cannot have a situation in which civil society groups discuss internal issues with another country.
“Even the Trump administration is wrong to entertain the lobby groups. If these groups are not happy about something, they should have used the correct platform to address it.”
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The squabble between the two countries started last month when Trump accused South Africa of implementing the Expropriation Act and claimed government was taking people’s properties without compensation.
Another political analyst, Goodenough Mashego, said: “There is nothing South Africa can do to fix the deteriorated relationship because the cause is fake news.”
Solidarity head of international liaison Jaco Kleynhans said they focused on three issues during their meeting with the US.
Three issues on focus
“First, the deteriorating relationship between South Africa and the US and that we believe the US government must put pressure on the SA over its irresponsible domestic and foreign policies,” he said.
“Second, we requested the White House not to continue with economic sanctions against South Africa. Ordinary South Africans must not be punished for the sins of the ANC.
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“Third, we asked for greater support for projects that Afrikaners are engaged in, in SA.”
North-West University politics and international relations lecturer Thabang Motswaledi said the groups’ visit was aimed at pleading with Trump not to punish South Africa.
“The groups did not anticipate that the Trump will target the entire South Africa,” he said.
AfriForum and Solidarity plead with Trump
In a document they presented, the groups asked Trump to put pressure on SA to declare farm murders a priority crime and to condemn politicians who called for the killing of farmers.
They also recommended that the US government provide aid to an Afrikaner development fund to assist with community infrastructure protecting Afrikaners.
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