ANC leaders must be held accountable for the punitive 30% reciprocal tariff that US President Donald Trump is imposing on South African imports to the world’s largest economy.
This is the view of civil rights organisation AfriForum after Trump announced his new tariff regime in Washington on Wednesday, which included a 30% “reciprocal tariff” on South Africa and duties ranging from 10% to 50% upwards on 60 other countries, varying according to their level of good or poor relations with the US.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said South Africa and its people were now reaping the bitter fruits of the ANC leadership due to the government’s “reckless policies and defiant actions” towards the US.
“These ANC leaders have put their ideology and interests, as well as those of their party, above the interests of the citizens of South Africa,” Kriel said.
He said AfriForum and others' pleas for a change of direction in South Africa had been made in the interests of the country and its people and to avoid punitive measures against South Africa and its residents.
However, he said those who dismissed the US’s grievances against South Africa as a “misunderstanding” based on misinformation had hampered these efforts.
“These deniers must, therefore, also bear the blame for the current crisis.”
Kriel said the US’s punitive measures could have been averted if problems had been openly identified and solutions found.
As a result, a change of direction could have been brought about in South Africa.
“AfriForum will continue to campaign for a change of direction in the country, as this is the only way in which the US’s punitive measures can be lifted.
“This change of direction entails that South Africa must protect the property and human rights of all people, including those of Afrikaners and other minority communities. Furthermore, the government must prioritise the interests of South Africans by pursuing a truly neutral foreign policy.”
