South Africa’s Largest Farming Lobby Blames Trump for Fueling Hatred

Comments made by US President Donald Trump regarding South Africa are inciting animosity and threatening a notable economic achievement, according to the nation’s largest agricultural organization.

After making erroneous assertions about a land expropriation law and the mistreatment of Afrikaners, an ethnic group primarily descended from Dutch and French settlers, Trump halted aid to South Africa, leading to divisions within the farming community, as stated by Johann Kotzé, CEO of AgriSA and an Afrikaner himself.

Read: Trump threatens South Africa on land expropriation

Afriforum, a conservative rights group representing white Afrikaners, has been accused of misleading Trump through years of campaigning over nonexistent land seizures and purported persecution of whites. Right-wing agricultural groups and separatist organizations have expressed approval of Trump’s remarks.

“I disagree with what they claimed. I have not experienced that as organized agriculture in South Africa,” Kotzé remarked during an interview on Tuesday.

“The extremism that erupted following Donald Trump’s statement fuels hatred.”

In an order issued on February 7 and other declarations, Trump accused the South African government of mistreating “certain classes of people VERY BADLY” and stated his intention to offer Afrikaners refugee status.

His assertions have been further promoted by South African-born Elon Musk, the wealthiest individual globally and one of Trump’s key supporters.

Read:
Ramaphosa speaks to Musk about ‘misinformation’ on South Africa
Musk piles the pressure on Ramaphosa
Ramaphosa woos Musk, trumpets trade with the US [Sept 2024]
Executive pay: The virus Elon Musk is exporting back to SA [June 2024]

“It’s quite peculiar,” Kotzé remarked regarding the refugee proposal.

“In agriculture and with our export success and the lifestyle we enjoy, why would one abandon that for a country where they hold no citizenship?”

Since the end of apartheid in 1994, when a white-led Afrikaner government transferred power to the black majority, agricultural production in South Africa has doubled, with farm exports increasing more than sixfold.

The agricultural sector provides 935,000 jobs.

“We are on the verge of initiating something new and creating advancements,” Kotzé stated. “We require positivity at this moment.”

He voiced his worries that Trump might revoke South Africa’s duty-free access to the US market for certain products, including agricultural goods like wine and citrus fruits.

AgriSA, which has many Afrikaner members, represents 1,000 farming associations across South Africa’s nine provinces and also includes consumers of agricultural products among its members.

In the aftermath of Trump’s actions, Orania, an exclusively Afrikaner settlement, has called for more autonomy.

Afriforum stated that while Trump’s actions may not serve the country’s interests, the South African government is accountable for the cessation of US aid.

The Transvaal Agricultural Union, which promotes Christian principles and property rights, expressed gratitude to Trump for his involvement.

Listen/read:
Kuseni Dlamini’s hopes for US-SA relations
Expropriation hullabaloo: Seeff boss confident about SA property rights
‘USA should impose a travel ban on President Ramaphosa’ – Kallie Kriel

Kotzé also refuted claims, which have been fueled in the past by Musk’s posts on X, that Afrikaans farmers are being targeted for assassination for political motives.

“Crime rates are excessively high in South Africa,” he stated. “When a murder occurs on a farm, it’s labeled a farm murder. However, it’s essential to remember that on the same night, someone else may have been murdered in the nearby township from which the farm workers originated.”

Most agricultural workers in South Africa are Black.

Expropriation Concerns

Nonetheless, Kotzé expressed that AgriSA is wary of the Expropriation Act recently enacted by President Cyril Ramaphosa, particularly regarding provisions allowing land to be seized without compensation, and indicated that legal action might be pursued for clarification.

However, he countered Trump’s claims, stating, “No farms were seized without compensation. None. Land grabs did not occur.”

Read:
Expropriation: Don’t be alarmed – court may award nil compensation, but is not required to
SA farm lobby starts review of agriculture data after shock slump
SA receives first shipment of imported white maize since 2017

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