The Democratic Alliance finds itself battling to do damage control as implications of the years-long misinformation campaign it has been leading appear to be far-reaching with newly-elected US President Donald Trump stopping aid to South Africa.
The DA, Afrikaans and pressure group Afri-Forum played leading roles in the misinformation campaign which is based on falsehoods such as that state-sponsored land grabs were underway in South Africa along with targeted mass killings of whites ( presumably for their land)
The DA went as far as writing to the government of the United States ahead of the 2024 general elections seeking intervention claiming the ANC was going to lose elections but stay in power forcefully. US officials refused to intervene at the time citing respect for South Africa’s sovereignty.
“South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people very badly. It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed,” said Trump in a post on social media platform X in response to Afri-Forum’s claims on the recently promulgated Land Expropriation Act, a law that explicitly prohibits arbitrary seizure of property by the state or any other persons.
President Cyril Ramaphosa hit back at Trump on the same platform also offering to educate the businessman-come politician who has so far relied on South African born Elon Musk for insights on the African continent.
“ South Africa, like the United States of America and other countries, has always had expropriation laws that balance the need for public usage of land and the protection of rights of property owners. We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters,” said Ramaphosa in his response.
The Economic Freedom Fighters said while it rejected the Land Expropriation Act arguing its a “watered down” version of what is needed to effect land reform, said it would nevertheless support Ramaphosa to implement the act.
EFF leader Julius Malema briefed the media in Johannesburg on Monday and said Trump’s move was part of a desperate attempt to help right-wing groups in SA achieve what they failed to get on their own.
“They thought they could blackmail the ANC, that the ANC would get cold feet but now that the ANC is forging ahead they are running to Trump. We don’t really think this act will achieve what is required but we urge the president to implement it. Whether they like it or not we will expropriate land in South Africa,” said Malema.
On Monday Public Works Minister Dean McPherson told a mining indaba that there won’t be land grabs under his watch, a move aimed at undoing ‘misconceptions’ resulting from years of relentless misinformation led by the DA which the minister is a member of.
The DA finds itself having to correct Trump’s misconception on the one hand and appeasing right-wing groupings who are still expecting the party to continue with its oppositionist approach when it is now part of the Government of National Unity.
The South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA joined in on condemnation of the misinformation campaign saying it amounted to economic sabotage against South Africa and extremely reckless.
Afri-Forum meanwhile underplayed the impact of its misinformation campaign claiming it will ask the USA government to rather impose targeted sanctions on individual ANC leaders instead of cutting out the entire South Africa which includes its members who are currently benefiting from AGOA ( African Growth and Opportunity Programme).
Even white South Africans have challenged Afri-Forum publicly questioning its motives and seeking accountability for funds it has been collecting globally in the name of victims of farm murders.
“As a white South African, I denounce Afriforum and their lies. There is no genocide of white people here. They are dangerous grifters intent on lining their pockets at the expense of their fellow South Africans. Let’s try the leaders for treason,” said Warren Robertson on X.