Earlier this week, a senior member of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party met with the Iranian ambassador to South Africa, defying Trump’s executive order last month that criticized the country’s ties with Iran.
South Africa’s News24.com reported:
The ANC says it will maintain its ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, regardless of any sanctions imposed by the US.
The party, which has historic ties with Iran, would not hide its friends, ANC first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane told News24 on Wednesday.
This after meeting with Iranian Ambassador to South Africa Mansour Shakib Mehr at Luthuli House [ruling party headquarters] on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, the South African parliament debated Trump’s recent decision to cut off aid to South Africa. Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi actually defended Trump, and said that South Africa should become more self-sufficient: “Trump doesn’t owe South Africa a single cent whatsover, and for that reason, we need to stand on our own.”
But others, including Julius Malema of the extremist opposition party called the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), slammed Trump:
Meanwhile, the South African Police Services (SAPS) opened an investigation into treason charges against two organizations that represent Afrikaners and farmers, merely for raising awareness about their views in the U.S.
On Friday, apparently in response, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was reiterating his invitation to South African farmers to relocate to the U.S.:
South Africa is being terrible, plus, to long time Farmers in the country. They are confiscating their LAND and FARMS, and MUCH WORSE THAN THAT. A bad place to be right now, and we are stopping all Federal Funding. To go a step further, any Farmer (with family!) from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to Citizenship. This process will begin immediately!
Musk also commented on South Africa, noting that he could not launch Starlink in South Africa because of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws that require a minimum percentage of black ownership:
Musk was commenting on a video of an interview by Dave Rubin with South African investor and commentator Rob Hersov, who noted, correctly, that post-apartheid South Africa has scores of racially discriminatory laws.
South Africa also has cultivated ties with Iran, China, Russia, and Palestinian terrorist organizations.
Many South Africans are concerned about the country’s declining relations with the U.S., which could affect its trade and frustrate economic growth. The South African economy grew by a paltry 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
It remains to be seen whether the South African government continues to provoke Trump, or finds a way to compromise.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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