ANC Inviting A ‘Colombian’ Experience From Trump
Besides his scorching pace of revoking and reversing Biden’s globalism, DEI and wokeism while initiating new directives, President Trump has indicated that foreign issues like Greenland, Panama, Canada and BRICS are also high up on his agenda.
In December he warned BRICS nations against replacing the US dollar with a BRICS currency and promised to impose 100% tariff charges if that happened, adding that they could also “expect to say good-bye to selling into the US economy.”
The key to Trump’s success is his ability to lever commitment in negotiation. An example of this is his request to Saudi Arabia to pump more oil so as to drive down the price. Reduced oil revenues will hobble Iran’s financing of terrorism while weakening Russia’s economy and making Putin more amenable to a deal on Ukraine.
Having the ear of Gary Player and Elon Musk regarding the ANC’s flawed property ownership policy and the delusion that NIH is the panacea for better health, Trump is certain to question the basis of South Africa’s continued enjoyment of the benefits of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
To qualify for AGOA benefits requires a commitment to good governance and respect for private property rights. By committing South Africa to the Marxist servitude of the so-called Freedom Charter, the ANC has provided Trump with firm grounds to freeze South Africa’s AGOA membership.
Here’s what is at stake if that happens:
- Thousands of SA businesses enjoy duty-free access to the US economy;
- The US is SA’s second-largest trading partner realising in excess of $15 billion annually;
- The US is SA’s second-largest source of imports, currently $9,2 billion.
- SA is the ninth largest beneficiary of US donor aid. Between 2012 and 2021, $6 billion in direct support of education, agriculture, health, and entrepreneurship; $8 billion in Hiv/AIDS treatment;
- $1 billion US investment in Power Africa since 2022 contributed to generating 60 gigawatts of non-Eskom electricity which helped avoid load shedding last year.
As it is, Trump is aware that the ANC supports rogue states and Hamas while deriving benefits from Iran. Yet despite his soft rhetoric at Davos, Ramaphosa has lost no time in putting on a big show of bravado addressing an ANC meeting. “Trump must leave us alone. He must stay out of our issues,” he declared.
Poking the bear is not a good idea as Colombian President Petro found out when Trump threatened a trade war following Petro’s denial of landing rights for Colombians deported from the US. Within hours Petro reversed his stance and agreed to accept unlimited numbers of deportees.
By defying the AGOA requirements and riding roughshod over policy objections of its GNU partners, the ANC is inviting a sobering ‘Colombian’ experience from Trump. For South Africa’s sake, that can’t come soon enough.
