Steenhuisen bashed for articulating his DA views instead of government's position, at Trump meeting

The DA has defended party leader John Steenhuisen from criticism that he did not use the opportunity to speak out against claims of a white genocide in South Africa during a meeting with US President Donal Trump and instead campaigned for his political party.

President Cyril Ramaphosa included Steenhuisen, the Minister of Agriculture, as part of his delegation with the hope that as a white Minister in his cabinet, he would dispel the myth that there is white genocide taking place in South Africa, particularly on farms.

Trump appeared to have ambushed Ramaphosa at Wednesday's meeting at the Oval Office in Washington by playing a series of video clips, including one which showed white crosses, which Trump said were the graves of white people.

"People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. Their land is being confiscated, and in many cases, they're being killed," Trump said, repeating what was once a once-fringe conspiracy theory that has circulated in global far-right chat rooms since at least 2014. 

Asked by Ramaphosa to address the issues that Trump had raised, Steenhuisen said there are farm killings in South Africa and that he as minister has made this a priority to deal with, adding the killings affect all farmers and not targeting specific race groups.

He said stock theft has particularly affected black farmers. Steenhuisen also complained about rural crime.

The DA leader went on to further to demonise the Umkhonto weSizwe Party and the EFF, whom he referred to as people that must be stopped at all cost from getting into the Union Buildings because they will make the wrong decisions.

Prior to his departure to the US, Steenhuisen said the working visit to see Trump was an opportunity for Ramaphosa to dispel the misinformation about South Africa.

"There is no genocide, there’s no expropriation of farms without compensation in South Africa,” Steenhuisen said.

However, he did not repeat this explicitly during the meeting in the Oval Office.

DA national spokesperson Karabo Khakhau said that Steenhuisen had made the trip in his capacity as a government minister and his responses had nothing to do with his party affiliation.

"He was representing government...he was there in his capacity as the Minister of Agriculture."

University of Zululand-based political analyst, Professor Sipho Seepe lashed out at Steenhuisen for articulating his party’s views instead of the government's position, at the meeting.

“He was there to represent his party. He used his whiteness, knowing full well that Trump would respond sympathetically to him. He used the opportunity to project EFF and MKP in a very negative light.

"He presented the DA as the saviour of both  the white race and South Africa. According to him, both the EFF and MKP are forces of evil,” said Seepe.

Businessman Johann Rupert, who was part of the delegation, appeared to remind Steenhuisen that crime is pervasive in South Africa and was not restricted to a specific demographic.

“We need your help to end these awful killings but it's across the board (he said to Trump).

"We don't get our economy to grow because of a culture of dependency and lawlessness. The crime is terrible but Mr Steenhuisen won't admit to it but (his party) runs Western Cape where I live. The biggest murders are in the Cape Flats. We have got gang warfare,” said Rupert.

Political analyst Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast said Steenhuisen could have spoken about his party’s position on many issues, including the Employment Equity Act, Bela Act and others but he chose to represent the government and did state that it was not only white farmers that were being killed.

International relations expert Dr Noluthando Phungula said Steenhuisen’s remarks reflected the country’s position.

“The delegation was able to articulate the fact that there is no white genocide in South Africa. Steenhuisen as a member of the opposition, a white Afrikaner and a member of government was important in articulating this point,” said Phungula.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za