John Steenhuisen to Donald Trump: We need support to shut the Union Buildings door on MK and EFF

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen on Wednesday told United States President Donald Trump, top US officials and media that his party joined the Government of National Unity in a bid to keep certain political parties, particularly the Economic Freedom Fighters and uMkhonto weSizwe out of government.

In an explosive start of the high-level engagements between the South African delegation led by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Trump, the US leader sharply raised criticism of what he described as targeting of Afrikaner farmers.

"We have thousands of people trying to come into our country because they fear they are going to be killed, and their land is going to be confiscated. You do have laws that were passed that give you the right to confiscate land with no payment. You can take away land for no payment," Trump told Ramaphosa.

"You are taking people's land away, and those people in many cases, are being executed. They are being executed. They happen to be white, and most of them happen to be farmers."

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In his measured response, Ramaphosa said the South African Constitution protects land ownership, yet seeking to address the imbalances of the past.

Ramaphosa stood his ground during the engagement, emphasising that South Africa respects the rule of law and he would like to have the opportunity to convince Trump.

White House officials played videos of EFF leader Julius Malema chanting "kill the boer" and some members of uMkhonto weSizwe party clamouring for land.

As the meeting continued, Steenhuisen, who is on the trip in his capacity as Minister of Agriculture, intervened and said crime in South Africa affects all people.

"We have a real safety problem in South Africa. I do not think anyone wants to candy-coat that. It requires a lot of effort to get on top of it. It is going to require more policing resources. It is going to require a different strategy to be able to deal with it. Certainly, the majority of South Africa's commercial and smallholder farmers really do want to stay in South Africa and make it work.

Steenhuisen said farmers in South Africa are deeply concerned about their safety and he has raised the matters with the Cabinet colleagues responsible for policing justice and law enforcement.

"

I also want to say this, the two individuals in that videos that we have just seen are both leaders of opposition minority parties in South Africa - uMkhonto weSizwe under Mr (Jacob) Zuma and Economic Freedom Fighters under Mr (Julius) Malema. The reason that my party, the Democratic Alliance which has been an opposition party for 30 years chose to join hands with Mr Ramaphosa's party was precisely to keep those people out of power," said Steenhuisen. 

"We cannot have those people sitting in the Union Buildings, making decisions. The day they get into the doors of the Union Buildings in South Africa or control our Parliament, that is what you are going to see. This government, working together, needs the support of our allies around the world so that we can strengthen our hand, grow our economy and shut the door forever on that rebel getting through the doors of Union Buildings."

IOL reported earlier that on Wednesday evening, a large contingent of media gathered as the two heads of state started their engagements with informal addresses to the media.

With pleasantries out of the way, Trump shot off: "A lot of people are concerned about South Africa and we will see how that turns out. We have many people who feel they are being persecuted and they are coming to the United States. We take from many locations and if we feel there is persecution or genocide going on.

"We have had a tremendous number of people, especially since they have seen this, generally they are white farmers and they are fleeing South Africa. It is a very sad thing to see. I hope we can have an explanation of that ... it is a different kind of meeting and we will talk about that," Trump addressed the media sitting next to Ramaphosa, moments after the South African delegation arrived at the White House.

Trump said bilateral trade will be on the agenda.

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Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington comes amid strained relations with the Trump administration. 

Tensions escalated during Trump’s second term, particularly after he sharply criticised South Africa’s land reform policy, claiming it enabled the seizure of land from white Afrikaner farmers—a claim the South African government has rejected.

The relationship further deteriorated in February when the United States cut HIV and AIDS funding to South Africa. 

Recently, Washington granted refugee status to 49 white South Africans, citing racial discrimination, another claim South Africa has strongly denied.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL News