The contempt that President Cyril Ramaphosa and his administration have demonstrated in ignoring the conditions set by the United States (US) for normalising relations between the two countries for more than a year is now leading to serious and direct consequences.
The new policy recently announced by the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, aimed at, among others, government officials involved in any form of race-based discrimination against members of minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa makes this abundantly clear.
Rubio stated that officials involved in these egregious acts will not “go unchecked”, and that measures include visa restrictions, even for families.
Just two days ago, on Monday, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) warned in the media that South Africa is dragging its feet in addressing the five conditions.
The response by Vincent Magwenya, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, that there is “no rush” to respond seeing as there is “no deadline” further demonstrates government’s contempt.
In June this year, the Freedom Front Plus also warned that time is running out for South Africa after the US stopped its PEPFAR funding to the country.
In March this year, the Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola, acted in the same contemptuous vein by summoning the US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III to account for his alleged “undiplomatic remarks” after he criticised South Africa for ignoring the conditions.
All this clearly demonstrates that government, with the ANC at the steer of international relations, will not heed the warnings.
After a visit to Washington DC in June last year, the Freedom Front Plus personally conveyed the US’s five conditions to the South African government. They are:
• Farm attacks must be classified as a priority crime and more resources need to be allocated to combating it.
• The chant “Kill the Boer” should be openly and unequivocally condemned.
• No land expropriation without fair market-related compensation.
• US enterprises should be exempted from BEE requirements, which is regarded as a barrier to trade.
• A clear demonstration of South Africa’s claimed non-alignment in foreign policy.
According to Rubio, the South African government is destroying the country’s economy with its obsession with race and its failure to adequately address farm attacks, race-based legislation and dehumanising hate speech.
He added that such “actions directly undermine peace, economic stability and the rule of law, and they are incompatible with the pillars of America’s foreign policy”. He “strongly urges” the South African government to act “quickly”.
The Freedom Front Plus wishes to make the following very clear to the South African government, and especially Mr Magwenya: There is a clear deadline. It is NOW. After Rubio’s latest warning, no-one can later say, “We did not know.”
The US’s request is reasonable. It merely asks that everyone in the country should be treated the same, that their property should be safeguarded and that they should have access to the same opportunities. The Freedom Front Plus wholeheartedly supports this.
President Ramaphosa responded to the current wave of murders of women sweeping through the East Rand by expressing his sympathy, labelling it a “national crisis” and stating that the investigation should be prioritised. That is well and good. It is indeed what needs to happen and how a president ought to act.
Likewise, the Freedom Front Plus would like to see the President recognise the seriousness of farm murders, condemn the attacks and issue an order that such incidents be prioritised. In contrast, he denies its existence on the international stage.
Like all South Africans, the Freedom Front Plus wants the economy to grow so everyone can find a job, the streets to be safe, competent candidates to be appointed as public officials, and our children to have hope for a better future.
But this will never happen under ANC rule.
